Staff Reports
Uber says it will release a pair of pilot platforms to help Floridians send and receive packages amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Uber Direct and Uber Connect will be available to businesses and individuals, respectively, looking to secure deliveries.
Uber Connect is limited to the Orlando, Tampa and Miami markets for now.
The platform will allow individuals looking to send items to friends or loved ones — but who don’t want to violate social distancing guidelines — to request a driver pick it up and drop it off. Users can access Uber Connect within the Uber app.
The Orlando, Tampa and Miami markets are three of the 25 markets nationwide where the company is rolling out Uber Connect. Those services will be available for same-day shipping.
Uber Direct, meanwhile, is available statewide. Businesses seeking to use Uber to send goods along their supply chains or directly to consumers can request more information on Uber’s website.
“People are looking for ways to get goods and other necessities delivered quickly and conveniently, and businesses are looking for ways to better serve customers,” Uber said in a Tuesday news release.
“This is Uber’s broadest effort yet to help businesses meet unprecedented demand for delivery, and help people stay at home while still getting the items they and their families need.”
The shipping platforms aren’t the only efforts Uber has tailored to the coronavirus outbreak.
Last week, Uber Eats announced a partnership with Feeding Tampa Bay to send meals to “Tampa Bay’s vulnerable populations” who need food during the crisis.
The company has also pledged to deliver 10 million free rides and deliveries to health care workers, seniors and other vulnerable populations.
