MUMBAI: As residents of Delhi get set to pick an Uber Shuttle Bus for their everyday commute, Uber has launched a novel campaign #UberReads to raise awareness for the shared ride product that can go a long way in addressing congestion on the roads. The new fleet of electric Uber Shuttle buses will come stocked with popular books and best-selling titles from Penguin Random House India to encourage riders to read during their rides.

The #UberReads campaign has been designed to allow riders to sit back comfortably in the air-conditioned EV buses with pre-booked seats and pick their favorite title from a handpicked selection of best sellers – encouraging reading over doom-scrolling on smartphones during long rides.

Uber Shuttle offers riders the convenience of pre-booking seats up to a week in advance while being able to make cashless payments, follow the live location of the bus on the Uber app, and have access to a round-the-clock safety helpline.

The month-long campaign will see #UberReads EV buses running through predefined routes in Delhi that have some of the most traversed commute routes between business districts and large residential areas.

Commenting on the feature, Amit Deshpande, Head of High Capacity Vehicles, Uber India and South Asia said, “Uber Shuttle helps get more people to travel in fewer vehicles, all with the comfort, convenience and safety that Uber has brought to everyday commute. Our campaign #UberReads is a unique way to draw attention to the options available to all of us which we somehow choose to overlook – like choosing a shared ride over a private vehicle or choosing to scroll endlessly on the phone instead of mindful reading. By bringing to life #UberReads through our partnership with Penguin, we want to remind people of the conscious choices that are wholesome in more ways than one.”

Speaking about the initiative, Gaurav Shrinagesh, CEO- of India, SEA & MENA, Penguin Random House said, “At Penguin, we believe in the transformative power of reading and the importance of keeping this habit alive in our content-crowded world. The #UberReads campaign is an exciting opportunity to showcase the wide range of books we offer – from fiction to biographies, self-help to mysteries – ensuring there’s a book for every kind of reader. We are thrilled to partner with Uber in this innovative initiative, demonstrating that reading can happen anywhere, even on the go. This partnership is a testament to the creative possibilities when two brands come together with a shared vision.”

The ‘# UberReads-branded buses house a collection of the most popular Penguin titles ranging from fiction to biographies, and from self-help books to mysteries, offering riders the chance to revisit the joy of reading paperback. Riders will have the freedom to pick a book of their choice and enjoy reading it through their journey. They would be encouraged to place the book back in its place for the next rider while exiting the bus at their stop.

How to book an Uber Shuttle trip:

1. Open the Uber App
2. Enter your destination, select the ‘Shuttle’ option
3. Review your fare
4. Select your preferred route & pick-up timing, and then tap request
5. We will send you the driver and bus details 25 min before your journey.
6. You can track the shuttle via the app before your pickup time.
7. Walk to the pickup spot you see on the map

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Vaibhav Paliwal, organizer, and owner of Nukkad Café said that Pune’s World Book Day is a one-of-a-kind book celebration that represents changing eras and evolving generations. Pune’s World Book Day event honors the written word by providing a venue for people to share their tales, discover different viewpoints, and cultivate a love of reading. The entire initiative is also driven by Pune’s writers and authors and the team consists of key members named Sonali Rasal, Preeta Bhuyan, Aman Rajabali, and Bhupesh Mahajan.

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