Uber already offers several options in the US, including quirky seasonal ones like ice cream-on-demand. But the company's Hong Kong division has something not available anywhere else: an experimental service (like UberFresh
in California) that transports big items, bulk goods, or even huge
pets. That option, called UberCargo, has been in beta for a while, but
it's now open to anyone in Hong Kong. It provides customers with big
vans they can fill with their clothes, produce, merchandise, furniture
or whatever they want -- they can even ride with their goods or track
the van via the app.
Since loading cargo usually takes time, customers are charged
HK$1.60 (20 cents) per minute while the van isn't moving on top of the
HK$20 ($2.60) base fare. It then shifts to HK$4.50 (60 cents) per
kilometer once the vehicle's on its way. It's not entirely surprising
that the company has launched its cargo service in Hong Kong, seeing as
it announced
in December that the $1.2 billion it raised from the latest funding
round will be used for its Asian expasion. The company didn't mention
whether it will make UberCargo available outside Hong Kong
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