Pick a book to avoid ‘doomscrolling’: Uber, Penguin partner for month-long initiative
Passengers will be encouraged to place the book back in its place for the next rider while exiting the bus at their stop.
3 min read
Uber Shuttle, which can be booked via the ride-hailing app, offers passengers the convenience of pre-booking their seats on air-conditioned (AC) electric buses up to a week in advance. (File/Express Photo)Written by Ahhana Verma
In what has been pitched as a novel concept, Uber has partnered with Penguin Random House to present ‘#UberReads’ and offer passengers on select Uber Shuttle vehicles the free service of picking a book to read during the journey. This month-long initiative “aims to reduce ‘doomscrolling’”, a behaviour wherein individuals mindlessly scroll through social media on their mobile phones.
Uber Shuttle, which can be booked via the ride-hailing app, offers passengers the convenience of pre-booking their seats on air-conditioned (AC) electric buses up to a week in advance. The initiative of ‘#UberReads’ will be offered on some of the most highly traversed, predefined routes in Delhi and will house a collection of the most popular Penguin titles ranging from fiction to biographies, and from self-help books to mysteries, offering riders the chance to revisit the joy of reading paperback.
Riders will have the freedom to pick a book of their choice and enjoy reading it through their journey. Passengers will be encouraged to place the book back in its place for the next rider while exiting the bus at their stop.
Commenting on the feature, Amit Deshpande, Head–High Capacity Vehicles, Uber India and South Asia, said, “Uber Shuttle helps get more people to travel in fewer vehicles, all with the comfort, convenience and safety that Uber has brought to everyday commute. Our campaign #UberReads is a unique way to draw attention to the options available to all of us which we somehow choose to overlook – like choosing a shared ride over a private vehicle or choosing to scroll endlessly on the phone instead of mindful reading. By bringing to life #UberReads through our partnership with Penguin, we want to remind people of the conscious choices that are wholesome in more ways than one.”
Gaurav Shrinagesh, CEO- India, SEA & MENA, Penguin Random House, said, “At Penguin, we believe in the transformative power of reading and the importance of keeping this habit alive in our content-crowded world. The #UberReads campaign is an exciting opportunity to showcase the wide range of books we offer — from fiction to biographies, self-help to mysteries — ensuring there’s a book for every kind of reader.”
The writer is an intern with The Indian Express.
You May Like
