Uber Boosts Boat Taxi Services On Croatia's Coast

UberBOAT, an Uber service operating on the Croatian coast since last year, has said it intends to increase operations on the Adriatic this year.

A one-way trip from the city of Split to the island of Hvar by Uber for a boatload of eight people costs 350 euros by Uber, or just over 40 euros per person.

A ferry ticket for the same ride is only about 7 euros per person - but takes much longer, naturally.

Uber Croatia told BIRN that this year UberBOAT is offering two options: a one-way transfer from the mainland to an island or from island to island for the prices mentioned above, or booking a boat for a half or full day - whose price depends on the number of hours.

UberBOAT now has contracts with 120 licensed captains in Dalmatia, which is 20 more ships than last year. 

In some ways, UberBOAT is departing from the classic practices of the sharing economy. First, not anyone can become their partners. All service providers must be licensed boat captains and hold valid licences for occasional commercial maritime transportation.

When the firm launched the project in 2017, Davor Tremac, general manager of Uber Croatia, told Index.hr that the service was intended for people who care more about saving time than about saving money.

On Wednesday, he told Poslovni.hr, Croatian business website, that last year he had expected more than 100,000 tourists to use Uber's services on the coast, including both taxi and boat rides.

At the end of the season, the company recorded more than 115,000 users, and this year he is even more optimistic about results.

Although the main points will be in Split, Dubrovnik and Sibenik, Tremac noted that sailing, whether for excursions or transfers, can be ordered from all the islands near the...