Uber testing cab-booking through calls, SMS in local languages

Stuck on the road without a 4G connection and trying to book a taxi is a frustrating experience most of us would have faced one time or other. Uber hopes to change that soon.

In a global first, Uber India is piloting a call centre for riders to book a cab by just calling its helpdesk. While it may not sound like much, staying away from a call centre-based booking system helped Uber curtail its costs and grow rapidly globally.

Uber does have a call centre for drivers and even for emergency situations where a rider gets a call back if they press the SOS button on the app, but that’s not enough for those who struggle to navigate apps and, thus, skip online cab bookings altogether.