The largest wireless carrier in the Philippines, Smart Communications expands its partnership with ridesharing company Uber to provide a more practical mode of transport to Smart employees in Metro Manila.
This is also help minimize the company’s carbon footprint and contribute in efforts to ease traffic congestion in the metropolis, said Smart.
Smart has set up pickup points in Quezon City and Paranaque where employees can converge during morning rush hour and share an uberHOP ride to Smart Tower in Makati City. Each uberHOP ride can accommodate up to six passengers. Launched last year, uberHOP is a new product from Uber that enables riders heading in the same direction to share a ride during rush hour for a flat fare.
Once their work shift is over, Smart employees can meet at an uberHOP spot in the office to share a ride going back to Paranaque and Quezon City. Smart has over 5,000 employees in Metro Manila.
Since November, Smart has also been using Uber for Business as a mode of transport for sales personnel without their own service vehicles. These employees are given an Uber for Business account which is linked to a central payment account where their fares are automatically charged. This means the employees do not need to shell out personal money and ask for reimbursement later on.
Last year, the two companies also collaborated to offer free high-speed internet without incurring any data charges during all Uber rides, powered by Smart’s leading wireless network.
Laurence Cua, GM, Uber Philippines
Uber is committed to using its ridesharing and carpooling technology to solve the traffic situation in Metro Manila. Partnering with Smart to run uberHOP routes to help the daily commute of its employees is one more way to getting there. By embracing technologies like Uber for Business, companies like Smart can save on the costs of buying brand new vehicles for their business fleets.
