A new service called UZURV — pronounced “yew-zerv” — enables riders to reserve Uber or Lyft drivers ahead of time, and Gainesville residents can now use the app.
When users open the app, they get the standard Uber or Lyft app options, such as setting pickup and drop-off locations.
Once they confirm their routes in UZURV, they can choose a new set of options, including pickup time, pickup driver and car amenities.
For its service, the app currently charges a discounted rate of 99 cents per ride.
Two former Richmond, Virginia, Uber drivers created UZURV in August 2015 after they found ride-sharing service users wanted a way to reserve their drivers ahead of time.
“I saw the gaps that I thought needed to be filled and could be filled with a separate app to bring drivers and riders together, especially in the dead zones where there’s not often Uber cars available,” said Matt Donlon, a co-founder and the CEO of UZURV.
In addition, the creators added a VoiceOver feature, which received rave reviews from the blind and visually impaired community, Donlon said. VoiceOver is an accessibility feature included on the iPhone that tells users what is on their screens.
Chris Sost, a Gainesville Uber driver, said he helped bring UZURV to Gainesville when one of the app’s operations managers contacted him on Facebook.
Sost said the app is helpful for drivers, too, as it lets them know where riders want to be dropped off before they are picked up.
“This is being built from the perspective of what’s awesome for drivers, which is knowing where you’re going,” he said.
