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Uber is getting into the charter bus business

Dallas and Houston will be the first to experience an Uber Charter, but more cities will soon see the option in their Uber apps.

Dallas partygoers won’t have to worry about how to find a charter bus for their next group event. Starting Thursday, they can order one on their Uber apps.

Through a partnership with US Coachways, a nationwide bus service that originated in New York City, Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston travelers are the first who can rent a charter through Uber. The option will roll out to other cities in the coming months.

The company says it will “share prices upfront so there are no surprises.” To book a last-minute round trip for 10 people on an Uber mini bus from downtown Dallas to the Fort Worth Stockyards on Saturday night, for example, the app gave an estimate of $1,526 for the trip. The prices fluctuate based on demand.

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Kristy Brader, senior central operations manager at Uber, said the partnership combines the best parts of the Uber platform and its technology with US Coachways’ local experience and expertise. For years, Uber has fielded questions about moving large groups of people.

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The company chose Dallas and Houston because they’re “vibrant and exciting markets” to test the new system for ordering coach buses, passenger vans and limo buses, Brader said.

A phone shows the review screen of an Uber Charter booking.
A phone shows the review screen of an Uber Charter booking.(Courtesy of Uber)
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“We are thrilled to enter into this venture with Uber,” Joseph Heap, chief marketing officer of US Coachways, said in a statement. “We believe that working in tandem with Uber uniquely positions us to combine existing expertise and new technology services to meet the demands of the post-COVID travel boom.”

The company is booking rides for bachelorette parties, family reunions and company outings. Brader said customers will have an in-app option to request that the riders can drink alcohol on board.

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However, operators can also deny alcohol on their buses through US Coachways’ SubOut software, which will take requests from riders. The algorithm in the software will account for fair market value based on supply and demand of the buses and also keep up with whether the drivers are comfortable with riders who are drinking. According to US Coachways’ website, the company requires compliance with the local laws anywhere the bus travels. The driver also has the sole discretion to terminate or suspend alcohol consumption at any time for any reason.

“We also believe it will help you get drunk drivers off the road, especially those coming out of large events where transportation is more difficult,” Brader said.

Uber has been adding partnerships to expand its transportation methods. In June, Uber Freight joined self-driving truck firm Waymo in a partnership to haul goods along Interstate 45. In London, the company developed Uber Boat, which partners with a river bus service named Thames Clippers to provide travel on the River Thames.

Last year, Uber terminated all of the incentive agreements it had struck with Texas, Dallas County and municipal governments when it selected Dallas to be its largest employment hub outside of its San Francisco headquarters. The company had been expected to hire as many as 3,000 workers at its Deep Ellum offices and pay an average annual salary of at least $100,000 as part of the signed economic incentive agreements.