A taxi driver in Melbourne is offering free transportation to anyone who wants to drive him to work, even though he might not know what that means.
A spokesman for Melbourne’s Transport Department told news.com.au that the taxi is being run by Uber driver John Dutton and it has been working for a month, with the driver having been on the job for six months.
He said the taxi driver would get around 50 per cent off the fare, but would not say how much he was charging for the service.
“I’ve done my bit for the economy and that’s what I’m looking for, so I’m not going to give you the exact percentage but we’re aiming to make a lot of money and we’re going to make it worthwhile for him,” he said.
Uber drivers, like Mr Dutton, have long been offering free rides to drivers at major airports and airports have been using the platform to boost the popularity of private drivers in the area.
The new service is available to both passengers and employees at the Melbourne International Airport, Melbourne Airport and Stanmore International Airport.
It is the latest venture for Uber and its drivers, which have been competing with taxis for passengers at major international airports in recent years.
In September, Uber announced a $3 million investment in a new driver service to cater for its growing fleet of drivers in Australia.
Uber is also expanding into Melbourne, where it will begin testing its service on a pilot basis at the Port Melbourne Airport on January 14.
