Mumbai-Alibaug, Mumbai-Lonavala are favourite road-trip routes: Report

Cab aggregator that conducted the survey said people picked road-trips over other means of travelling during the pandemic

Mumbai-Alibaug and Mumbai-Lonavala have been the most favourite road-trip routes for those travelling between cities in the pandemic, says an annual year-end report of Uber India. In addition to this, even Uber auto rides within Mumbai have seen a double-fold growth over the past year.

The cab aggregator's report - 2021 in Rear View: A Look Back by Uber - gives a glimpse of how Mumbaikars availed their services throughout the year. "The pandemic shaped customer preferences, as people picked road trips over other means of travelling. Many chose to get into an app cab for the first time for intercity travel resulting in the demand for Uber Intercity becoming more than the pre-COVID levels. Popular routes around the city like Mumbai-Alibaug and Mumbai-Lonavala saw increased rider demand," the report adds.

Uber Auto is another mode of transport that saw a double-fold increase in demand. "Riders found the app autos as a safe, convenient and affordable mode of transport to move around town. Along with Mumbai, even Bhubaneswar witnessed a 2x increase in demand for Uber autos," the report said. People were also found to be using the service to transport grocery, non-prescription medicines, medical devices and food items. Prabhjeet Singh, president, Uber India and South Asia, said, "During the pandemic, Uber has continually adapted to changing realities to meet the evolving needs of our riders and cities. We are encouraged by the growing demand and rapid recovery and are raring to move ahead as we welcome the New Year."