Traveling around Australia with your pet is about to get a whole lot easier now that ride-sharing giant Uber launched Uber Pet in Australia.
From today Uber Pet will be trialling its service in the cities of Sydney and Brisbane. If Uber Pet receives a positive reception then pet owners across Australia will be able to use the new feature.
Uber Pet will be a separate option within the Uber app, just like Uber X or Uber Pool.
The service won’t be free though as there will be a surcharge of AUD 6 to 7 (approximately USD 3.90-4.50).
Uber Pet was launched last year in the US.
When passengers request Uber Pet, they will be matched with a driver-partner who is comfortable with having a pet in their car. The entire process will be as simple as opening the Uber app and entering the destination, scrolling through ride options and choosing Uber Pet. After that, passengers confirm the ride and they are ready to hit the road with their furry mates.
Uber Pet is limited to one pet per trip. If a passengers has more than one pet then it’s up to the driver to decide if they want to take them on the trip.
As for other rules, Uber said the service is ‘primarily for dogs and cats’. The driver also always has the right to refuse animals they deem unsafe or uncontrolled. Furthermore, Uber encourages the use of a leash or harness for dogs and cats. All other animals must be contained in an enclosed pet carrier during the trip.
If the pet has an accident where car cleaning is necessary then the passenger will need to pay a cleaning fee.
Uber also maintains that only humans are insured during rides and not little furry friends.
Assistance animals do not have to pay fees and can ride on Uber’s other services.
Commentary
A sign that Australia is becoming more pet friendly. Even though this is a trial run, it’s still great news for pet owners out there who need a ride to take their dogs to places like the vet. It’s also a great service if you want to take your dog to a pet friendly beer garden and don’t want to drink and drive.
I hope Australian public transport is paying attention to see that it is clearly possible for dogs to travel around via different methods and remain well-behaved. The should listen to the majority that want dogs (and maybe cats) on trains, because not everyone in the city has a car. Taking public transport or even cutting down on driving and taking an Uber is better for the environment and if you can be eco friendly and have your pet along for the ride, then it’s even better!
