Uber is taking ride-sharing in Australia to another level, literally, launching scUber, the world’s first ride-share submarine service, at two Great Barrier Reef locations.
In partnership with Tourism and Events Queensland, the scUber service is intended to showcase the reef and support protection and conservation.
Available for a limited time only, the rides will be available from Heron Island from May 27 to June 8, and from Agincourt Reef, off the coast of Port Douglas, from June 9 to 18.
The experience doesn’t come quite a cheap as your regular Uber Pool, though. The whole experience comes in at $3,000 for two people.
But, the whole experience includes an Uber X pickup and a helicopter to and from the submarine departure site, as well as the one-hour underwater dip.
And if the price point doesn’t put you off, there’s still no guarantee of a ride.
To request, users will have to open their Uber app at 7.30am, choose the scUber option and request ‘Great Barrier Reef’ as their destination.
It’s a first-come-first-served system, and with only one scUber ride available each day, competition is likely to be fierce.
Tourism and Events Queensland chief Leanne Coddington said the partnership is intended to help bring the spotlight back to the Great Barrier Reef.
Last year, research found exploring the Great Barrier Reef in a submarine was the most-desired future travel experience, Coddington said in a statement.
So “scUber makes this wish a reality and reaffirms Queensland tourism’s commitment to providing locals and visitors alike with truly remarkable ways to explore nature’s wonderland,” she added.
Susan Anderson, regional general manager of Uber in Australia and New Zealand said the rideshare giant is “committed to harnessing the power of technology for good”.
“We believe good things happen when people move — whether that’s by getting people from A to B in their city, or by making dreams come true experiencing the world’s greatest natural wonder, the Great Barrier Reef,” Anderson said.
This week, Uber has also announced it is partnering with Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef, an organisation working to protect the reef using data, technology and a collaborative approach to conservation.
For every scUber ride booked, Uber is donating the equivalent value to the organisation.
In a statement, Andy Ridley, chief executive of Citizens said: “To safeguard the reef and the planet we must change the way we do things, from individual actions to new ways of doing business like the sharing economy.”
This isn’t Uber’s first foray into the ocean. Earlier this year, Uber Boat launched in Mumbai, offering voyages between three tourist hotspots.
Last year, a daily UberBOAT service was available throughout the Melbourne Cup Carnival, while an UberCHOPPER helicopter was available to fly flash ridesharers from the racecourse to the CBD for $1,000 a ride.
Courtesy – STEPHANIE PALMER-DERRIEN / Friday, May 24, 2019
