AN AUDIENCE WITH... UBER
Let’s talk taxis...
BBT invited 40 senior travel buyers to meet key
figures from Uber for Business for an exclusive Q&A By TOM NEWCOMBE
T
HE EVENT, AT THE SOHO HOTEL IN LONDON, saw senior executives from the app-based taxi service field questions and address buyers’ concerns around imple-
menting Uber into a travel programme. The event, held in the hotel’s special screening room, saw discussions around travel policy, duty-of-care, IT integration, future trends and corporate social responsibility (CSR). BBT editor Paul Revel opened the event,
saying Uber’s growth is reflected in the column inches it has amassed –the brand is mentioned in more than 90 articles on
40 BBT January/February 2017
the BBT website. He then welcomed the Uber execs to tell the room how the service could impact on their travel programme. They talked about how “employees
now expect business travel to match their personal experience”, as well as new in- novations being rolled out globally, such as a panic button that alerts local authorities to an emergency, and addressing other issues around costs and safety. The team also showcased their report-
ing dashboard, which they said will help buyers “gain visibility and control” over usage. Travel managers can see where and when employees are ‘riding’, with cost/
project codes added to each journey. The dashboard lets buyers set policies around time and location to “ensure only in-policy rides are taken”. The team also explained how it enables travellers to schedule rides 30 days in advance of a trip, as well as central payment methods for expenses. The second half of the event gave buyers
the opportunity to quiz Uber in the Q&A session. The questions were fielded by Tom Elvidge and Lewis Turek from Uber for Business, and one of the key topics was safety concerns. One buyer asked about restrictions on drivers’ working hours. Turek explained:
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
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