App matching riders and drivers expands to Bloomington

Uber, a website mobile application that assists people in finding rides, expanded to Bloomington last week.

Passengers are able to pick up a ride on short notice through the app, which matches them with available Uber drivers.

“We’re really excited to be in Bloomington,” said Chris Nakutis, general manager for Uber in Indiana.

Uber has multiple ride options, including uberX, which allows everyday drivers to pick up riders, and uberBLACK, which partners riders with professional drivers in black vehicles. Only uberX is available in Bloomington now.

Nakutis said he predicts other Uber options will be available in Bloomington by the next school year.

Uber users are able to see available cars on the app, including a profile of the driver and car and real-time movement of the car.

Uber also recruits drivers. All drivers must go through background checks, be insured, be over 23 years old and have a car 10 years or younger.

“When we think of Uber, we think of simplicity, safety and reliability,” Nakutis said. “We want to make sure that people know we aren’t some random app picking people up.”

Nakutis said the average wait time in Indianapolis is four minutes. Bloomington is one of the smallest cities Uber serves, Nakutis said.

Because drivers can pick up uberX riders at their convenience, there is no limit to how far uberX rides can go, Nakutis said, noting that many people have taken Uber rides from Indianapolis to Bloomington or from Indianapolis to Chicago.

Those rides, Nakutis said, led to the expansion to Bloomington, as well as Bloomington residents and IU students using it in other cities.

“A lot of people who use Uber in Chicago and New York City came from IU,” Nakutis said. “They’d say, ‘Oh, I’m going back to Bloomington.’”

He added many Uber employees are IU graduates.

Nakutis said last spring, Uber was only available in 12 cities, Indianapolis not being one of them. It now serves 96 places worldwide.