It's coming! Uber to launch in Tauranga in February

Ride-sharing service Uber will launch in Tauranga in February. Photo/Getty

Ride-sharing company Uber has confirmed it will launch in Tauranga in February.

Tauranga will be the fourth city in New Zealand where Uber is operating and Uber New Zealand general manager Richard Menzies expected the service to be popular in the city.

He said Uber would officially start operating in Tauranga from February 1.

"We wanted to be there in time for the [Waitangi] long weekend," Menzies said.

He said in the past few years 23,000 people had opened the Uber phone app while in Tauranga. He said that would have been a mixture of locals and visitors, which confirmed there was a demand for the service in the city.

"We're expecting demand to be pretty strong," he said. "We're very excited."

This follows the deployment of cars in June to map out routes in the city and advertising for driver partners beginning in September.

Tomorrow, Menzies and Uber's senior operations team will be in Tauranga at an information session for people wanting to become Uber drivers.

"Interest has been very strong."

People wanting to find out more can attend the meeting at the Hotel Armitage's Washington Room from 6.30pm.

At present Uber operates in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

Menzies said there was no cap on the number of drivers Uber could employ in Tauranga but around the country, they had 5000 driver partners and more than 300,000 riders.

"We think the Tauranga market's going to be fantastic."

To sign up, driver-partners need to obtain a P-endorsement from the New Zealand Transport Agency, which includes having criminal and driver history checks, being at least 21, having a valid full licence, and operating a four-door car no older than nine years.

About Uber:
All requests are made through the Uber app.
Using your device's GPS, the app will show you drivers close by based on your location. Once you've put in your destination, you can choose different pricing options such as economy and premium and tap on each to see wait time, size, and price. Once a driver is requested, the driver will arrive in minutes.
The driver's contact information and vehicle details will show up in the app, so you know you're getting in the right car.
Once the ride has ended, the passenger can rate the driver.
The fare will be charged to the credit card on file, so cash is never needed.