Dive Brief:

• Uber has integrated London's public transit information to its app. 
• The app now displays real-time subway, bus, train and light rail schedules, according to Engadget and others. It also shows users which transit route is fastest and how to walk to the stations.
• Earlier this year, Denver became the first city to have its public transit information integrated into the Uber app.

Dive Insight:

Some consider Uber's decision to displays London's transit information rather surprising due to the two entities' tumultuous relationship in the past. The city's transportation agency, Transport for London (TfL), did not renew Uber's license in September 2017 due to what it called a "lack of corporate responsibility," which Uber appealed. Last summer, a British court ruled that Uber could operate in London on a 15-month probationary license.

Adding transit information to its app advances Uber's goal to become an all-encompassing mobility company and rework its older image as merely a ride-hailing service provider. Like Uber, earlier this year Lyft also added Denver's public transit information to its app; the city joined Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Santa Monica, CA and Washington, DC on Lyft's app. 

Besides expanding their mobility market reach, adding transit information to apps could help boost Uber's and Lyft's image with opponents who dislike the negative effect ride-hailing is stated to have on transit ridership and congestion. But the transit info goes beyond just benefiting the mobility companies. It also boosts exposure of cities' transit options and it provides greater multimodal transportation options and convenience for customers, both of which are in demand.