Uber Boat in London: Everything you need to know

Soon you will be able to hail an Uber Boat in London as part of your daily commute. While this service was originally expected to launch earlier this year, Covid-19 delayed the official launch. Now Uber is resuming their “Uber Boat” plans in an attempt to further diversify their business offerings after being hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Uber Boat in London will offer journeys up and down the River Thames, consisting of a 20-strong fleet of boats and 23 piers between Putney and Woolwich. The boats will be branded as “Uber Boats by Thames Clippers” thanks to a partnership with Thames Clippers. While these boats will not be on-demand as they will be operating on a direct time table with specific stops, they are expected to cut down commuter time by avoiding busy city streets.

Uber Boat users will be able to access the boat using a QR code on their Uber app. When riders open their app they will see an option for Uber Boat. Once selected they will be prompted to choose their desired boarding time and pay for their journey. Uber has also confirmed that its users will pay the same price for the boat journey as they would for a car. During the initial launch the boats will be running on a reduced capacity with guidelines such as face masks still being a reality for riders.

Many feel this partnership is going to help benefit social distancing guidelines for London commuters by offering another option of getting around. Many argue that Uber Boats could help to free up other mass transit options like the London’s underground rail system, the Tube.