New Uber Passport App Offers Ride-Sharing to Mexico David Wagner - KPBS
go to original March 18, 2016

Uber riders can now take a ride across the U.S.-Mexico border, but there is a catch. (ABC 10 News)

Travelers heading from San Diego to Tijuana have a new transportation option. Now they can use their smartphone to hail a ride across the border.

The app-based ridesharing company Uber announced a new service called Uber Passport on Thursday, choosing the San Diego region as the staging grounds for its first cross-border service.

"This is the first time an Uber trip will cross international borders," said Uber’s head of global operations Ryan Graves, a San Diego native and the company's first CEO.

Users will not be able to hail rides back into the United States from Tijuana. They'll pay a $20 border crossing fee for southbound trips and will have to choose Uber's black car service instead of the cheaper UberX option.

The company estimates trips from downtown San Diego to Tijuana's airport will cost about $100. Uber said it will provide insurance for cross-border rides and all drivers will be commercially licensed.

If Uber can provide quick and convenient rides into Tijuana, it could appeal to travelers who don't want to walk across the border or drive their own car into Mexico. But convincing drivers to make the complicated and time-consuming trip could be challenging.

Read the rest at KPBS

Related: Fight Uber with Lambo: Cancún Drivers Battle Taxi App with Exotic Car Service (The Guardian)

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