Uber mapping vehicle on the road in Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (CNW Group/Uber Canada).
Uber investing in the province as mapping cars hit BC roads.
VANCOUVER – Uber Canada announced a significant investment in British Columbia as part of its urban mapping program. Starting today and over the next month, up to 25 Uber mapping cars will be on the roads collecting mapping imagery across Metro Vancouver. Future enhanced maps will allow British Columbians to get around their communities seamlessly and offer them more precise pick-up and drop-off locations for rides and delivery. This expanded effort into British Columbia follows Uber's mapping efforts across Canada that began late last year.
Mapping is a key technology behind every successful Uber ride. Mobile maps and GPS allow Uber to match riders with the closest available driver, navigate the fastest path to destinations, and provide accurate ETAs. Existing maps are a good starting point, but there are other things Uber needs to know a lot more about, like traffic patterns, building entrance locations, and precise pickup and dropoff locations.
"The ongoing need for maps tailored to the Uber experience is why we're doubling down on our investment in mapping. Over the past decade mapping innovation has changed our daily life. That progress will only accelerate in the coming years especially with technologies like self-driving cars," stated Manik Gupta, Head of Product, Maps at Uber.
"The street imagery captured by our mapping cars helps us improve core elements of the Uber experience, like ideal pick-up and drop-off points and the best routes for riders and drivers and delivery. As we prepare to bring ridesharing to British Columbia, we are making this investment now to ensure that we can best serve the people that will rely on Uber to earn and get around their communities," said Ramit Kar, Uber Western Canada General Manager.
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