Uber is killing the old-school tool it introduced to help older New Yorkers get food delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Just six months after introducing the 1-833-USE-UBER hotline — which allows tech-averse users to book rides from Uber’s platforms — the service is being discontinued at the end of this year, The Post has learned.
It turns out that not even the coronavirus has been able to get people to pick up the phone anymore, with the number of people using the service in New York, Florida and Arizona declining over the past few months. The hotline currently receives just a few hundred calls each month.
“After thoughtful consideration, we’ve made the decision to stop the 1-833-USE-UBER pilot program we launched earlier this year starting January 1,” Uber spokesperson Harry Hartfield said.
The company had initially billed the service as a tool for older customers to access delivery safely “through the warmth of a live conversation.”
Users were able to call the number and tell an Uber worker what kind of food they wanted, and then receive a list of restaurants in their area that met the criteria.
Users will still be able to call in orders up through New Years Eve, with the service officially shutting down Jan. 1.
