SAN FRANCISCO — Dealers no longer need to offer shuttle services to service customers. That’s according to Uber, which today launched its new Uber Central, the ride-hailing company’s first one-to-many ride product. It allows organizations to manage multiple rides at the same time from a single dashboard.

Built on the firm’s Uber for Business platform, Central allows businesses to request, manage, and pay for rides for others. And customers who receive rides via Central don’t need to have an Uber account or the app to take the ride. The organization handles everything.

“This offering is especially useful for organizations that typically transport customers, like the auto industry,” the firm stated in its press release. “Auto dealers and repair shops have replaced inefficient, costly shuttles with scalable, on-demand rides from Uber Central. This has saved them money and increased customer satisfaction.”

According to Uber, more than 8,000 companies participated in the program’s pilot.

“When we introduced Uber for Business, our mission was to give organizations a more efficient way to manage their business travel and improve their employees’ experience,” the firm stated in its Uber Central blog. “Today, we’re excited to expand the Uber for Business platform beyond business travel to include a world-class customer transportation solution, Uber Central.”

Uber Central offers:

• Business can give customers or clients a premium door-to-door experience by requesting a ride on their behalf. Customers don’t need to have an Uber account or a smartphone to ride with Central.

• Business can replace shuttles and car services.

• Organizations using Central get access to the digital billing, reporting, and management tools they need to manage their transportation operations.

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