Udrive pay-per-minute car rentals comes to Abu Dhabi

Mawaqif paid parking will be waived as scheme expands into its third emirate

The Udrive short-term rental services is coming to Abu Dhabi. It already operates in Dubai and Sharjah. Courtesy Udrive.

A pay-per-minute car rental scheme has been given the green light to operate in the UAE capital.

Udrive will begin its service in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, working in line with the Department of Transport in a similar way it operates in Dubai with the RTA and in Sharjah.

In Abu Dhabi, Mawaqif paid-parking is waived as part of the rental service.

In its initial roll-out, in which you can order your car through an app, Udrive will provide 100 vehicles with free inclusions of fuel, parking and comprehensive insurance for all its members.

The current fleet includes the newest models of Toyota Yaris, Peugeot 208, Nissan Tiida, Nissan Sunny, Ford EcoSport, Ford Figo, Chevrolet Spark, Chevrolet Aveo and Kia Picanto.

Five per cent of its fleet is electric.

Read more: How the sharing economy has inspired a new type of car hire company

"With Udrive's new rental scheme 'the more you drive, the more you save', the service supports all kinds of public mobility requirements," said Hasib Khan, Udrive chief executive and founder.

"Whether you need to run quickly for a meeting or spend the whole day driving around the city, Udrive is the right option. You decide if you want to use the service for a minute or a day."

Pay-per kilometre or and pay-per minute rental options have grown in popularity in the UAE. Pawan Singh / The National

Udrive users can take a car from anywhere and drive anywhere they choose, but the car needs to be returned to the same city from where it was picked up.

However, Mr Khan said the company is planning to allow users to drive from Abu Dhabi to Dubai or Sharjah in the future for an additional fee.

The service costs 50 fils plus VAT per minute and is capped at Dh135 a day if you drive under 220 kilometres. An additional 50 fils per kilometre is charged thereafter. Mawaqif parking is free.

How it works

Our motoring editor Adam Workman tried out Udrive and its competitor ekar last year.

<p>Udrive and ekar&nbsp;are two pay-per-minute car&nbsp;rental solutions operating in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National&nbsp;</p>

But here's what you need:

• Users need to follow the registration instructions either on its app or website
• Documents required for residents: Emirates ID, Valid UAE driving license and debit/credit card. Tourists can use the service with a UAE-recognised International driving licence
• Vehicles can be rented at any time of the day at a point nearest to the driver's location via the Udrive app.
• The vehicle selected can be unlocked using a smartphone or the optional personal membership card.
• This keyless access through a mobile phone, and the ability to park for free across permitted key areas of the city along with free fuel makes it easy for customers to travel wherever they like.
• Members pay 50 fils per minute, capped at Dh135 for the day up to 220 kilometres

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