Uber is experimenting with a new service that allows users to hire drivers from its app to complete everyday household chores and projects, in a bid to expand beyond its existing ridesharing and courier business. The service, called Uber Tasks, will launch as a “small pilot” in the coming weeks in Fort Myers, Florida and Edmonton, Alberta.
The news, first reported by Bloomberg, confirms an earlier report from the publication in September that found evidence for a new “Chore” option within the Uber app’s code. Uber Tasks is essentially an online marketplace for freelance laborers, much like TaskRabbit or Thumbtack — only you’d be advertising tasks specifically to Uber drivers and couriers who can opt-in to the program.