Rent-a-car for just 50 fils in Dubai?

Dubai - Following launch of Udrive app in Dubai recently, Khaleej Times gets answers to questions people still want to know.

So we've all heard of the new mobile application 'Udrive'. Since launching in Dubai just over a week ago, the pay-as-you-go car rental service has garnered over 2,000 users. According to the apps tagline, the service lets you drive 'anywhere, everywhere' for just 50 fils per minute with all your insurance, petrol and parking fees included. But what exactly does that mean?

With lots of unanswered questions on the lips of many since its launch, Khaleej Times digs a little deeper with Udrive's Managing Director, Hasib Khan, to shed some light on the subject.

How it works

Citing customer 'convenience' as its most important asset, Udrive's self-drive service allows customers to reserve and rent a car through their phone.

Contrary to the traditional rent-a-car approach, Udrive vehicles are strategically placed around the city so renters can access them more easily - "within a five to 10 minute walk or drive", Khan said.

But at a time where residents in Dubai are being urged to use public transport more frequently, how 'convenient' is it to the environment?

"Udrive will actually help reduce emissions on the road," he said.

"This service allows several people to share one car over the space of one day."

It's the sustainable alternative for people who can't always get the bus or metro to their required destination, he added.

"For instance, the user can pick up the car, drive to work, then instead of leaving the car sitting at work all day, another user can utilise that same car instead of filling the road with an additional vehicle."

A form of extended carpooling service, Khan said Udrive is definitely an environment-friendly approach to getting around the city.

"If we share cars like this for the daily work commute and errand runs, that is a lot of emissions saved."

And UAE-based Eco-tourism Operator Moaz Sawaf agrees.

"I think this sounds like an excellent solution. Especially in the UAE where public transport is still gaining legs."

The non-committal Udrive user:

British expatriate Samantha Jayne Lockie wants to know where the cars are located without signing up to the Dh20-a-month service. Can she?

Hasib Khan said Udrive is fully aware many residents do not want to commit to the service before using the app, so they are working on a 'guest sign in' service for one-off users, to identify the locality of cars.

The Udrive supporter:

Expatriate Jamie Wilks is all for the service. For him , the economics are "pretty straight forward".

"There are thousands of people in Dubai who can drive but either can't afford a car or chose not to buy or rent a car for various reasons. A big one being lack of parking spaces. It's miles more economical for people and the environment to use this service versus owning a car."

Already a big concept in the US and Europe, he said he is surprised it has taken so long to get here.

The Udrive fence sitter:

Expatriate Paul Ransted wants more clarity on issues surrounding damage liability.

"Salik, speeding fines, parking fines, cleanliness of the vehicle, insurance. How does it work?"

Users pay for Salik and speeding fines - that will be billed to their account.

The non-committal Udrive user:

British expatriate Samantha Jayne Lockie wants to know where the cars are located without signing up to the Dh20-a-month service. Can she?

Hasib Khan said Udrive is fully aware many residents do not want to commit to the service before using the app, so they are working on a 'guest sign in' service for one-off users, to identify the locality of cars.

The Udrive supporter:

Expatriate Jamie Wilks is all for the service. For him , the economics are "pretty straight forward".

"There are thousands of people in Dubai who can drive but either can't afford a car or chose not to buy or rent a car for various reasons. A big one being lack of parking spaces. It's miles more economical for people and the environment to use this service versus owning a car."

Already a big concept in the US and Europe, he said he is surprised it has taken so long to get here.

The Udrive fence sitter:

Expatriate Paul Ransted wants more clarity on issues surrounding damage liability.

"Salik, speeding fines, parking fines, cleanliness of the vehicle, insurance. How does it work?"

Users pay for Salik and speeding fines - that will be billed to their account.

You can park your car for free around the city at all RTA public parking spots except in Media City, Internet City, Knowledge Village, Tecom and Deira Fish Market and inside the shopping malls across UAE. However, the team is currently working with authorities to establish exclusive Udrive parking spots at 'points of interest' across the city.

In response to cleanliness and damage, before the app sends a signal to the satellite to "lock or unlock a car at the beginning or end of a trip", the user will be asked two questions about damage and cleanliness.

"If the user flags a problem a customer service agent will call to try and alleviate the issue. They will either give the driver the go ahead if damage is minor or send a new car to the location," Khan said.