Uber has introduced a motorcycle taxi service in the congested streets of Bangkok.
优步在拥堵成患的泰国首都曼谷推出了“摩托出租车”服务。
The move is an effort to counter what rival ride-hailing apps are doing -- competitor Grab already offers a motorcycle option in the Thai capital, called GrabBike.
优步的竞争对手、打车软件公司“Grab”已经先于优步推出了这种服务——“GrabBike”,于是优步赶紧跟上。
It isn't Uber's first go at motorcycles. In 2012, the company launched a moto-taxi option in Paris for a few weeks as a short-term experiment. It hasn't tried another motorcycle feature until the Bangkok one, which it has designed for cities in developing countries like Thailand, according to spokesman Karun Arya.
但此举对优步来说并不新鲜。2012年,优步就曾在巴黎短期试水过“摩的”,但运行几周后就销声匿迹了。不过据优步发言人卡伦·艾尔亚透露,公司其实一直考虑在泰国等发展中国家的城市推出这一服务。
"Two-wheel transportation1 is a form of mobility2 for millions and millions of people," he said.
他认为:“对数以百万计的城市人口来说,两轮交通工具是不错的出行选择。”
Motorbike rides can now be requested like any other Uber taxi on the app in three central Bangkok neighborhoods, and the driver will even show up with a helmet for the passenger.
目前曼谷三个主要居住区的居民都可以通过优步软件打到摩的,与优步汽车的打车流程是一样的。摩的司机接活儿之后还会给乘客带来一顶头盔。
"Motorcycles are part of the commuting3 culture in Thailand," Douglas Ma, Uber's head of Asia expansion, said in a statement. He suggested the new service would "create tens of thousands of flexible work opportunities for Thais."
优步亚洲推广总监道格拉斯·马在一份声明中称:“泰国人本来就比较喜欢用摩托通勤。”他认为,摩的服务将会“为泰国带来成千上万个更加灵活的工作机会”。
Fares start at 10 baht, and cost an additional 3.50 baht for each kilometer and 0.85 baht per minute for every ride -- cheaper than the car service.
优步摩的起步价10泰铢(约合1.8元人民币),每增加一公里需额外付3.5泰铢,同时每分钟的骑行时间需要付0.85泰铢——费用比优步汽车便宜不少。
Bangkok residents reported varying degrees of success at finding available motorcycle taxis in the city after the feature launched Wednesday, ranging from a few minutes away to none at all. Uber declined to comment on how many motorcycles are available through the app.
优步周三推出该服务后,就有曼谷当地居民报告了打摩的成功率:最快的几分钟就能打到一辆,而有的人则根本打不到。针对“共上线了多少辆摩的”的提问,优步未予回应。
The startup said it has plans to roll out the motorcycle service in other cities in the near future, but it wouldn't specify4 which ones.
这家创业公司还计划不久后将摩的推广到其它城市,但未透露具体是哪些城市。
1 transportation [ˌtrænspɔ:ˈteɪʃn] 第8级 | |
n.运输,运输系统,运输工具 | |
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2 mobility [məʊˈbɪləti] 第8级 | |
n.可动性,变动性,情感不定 | |
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