Uber implemented a new functionality for those who want to know Mexico City and its surroundings. Starting today, the app integrates the tab To explorea feature that allows you to view attractions, restaurants, and events such as concerts, plays, and more.
The Explore tab uses your location to suggest nearby places to visit, eat or have fun. Each features an overview, photos, location, reviews, and a link to request a ride. The main option, Explore your City, lists typical attractions for tourists, such as the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Palace of Fine Arts or Xochimilco.
The premise of Explore is that users have at hand a guide to discover places. This is achieved by integrating all the information necessary to not leave the Uber app. On paper it sounds good, however in practice this feature leaves a bit to be desired.
Uber doesn’t made a fuss to this new functionality
It seems that Uber has not performed a curation of places and relies on the Foursquare average to sort the suggestions. This is evident in the “Local Food” option, where the app can send you to a bakery in the most dangerous neighborhood in Mexico City just because it has an 8.6 rating.
Uber also hasn’t paid much attention to the “Trending Near You” option, which breaks places down into categories (Food, Arts & Culture, Training & Experiences). The results are based on the name of the category, for example, if you access Training looking for gyms you will come across places like “Specialized Air Training” or “Guide Dog Training School for the Blind”.
Maybe the only point in favor for Uber is the suggestion of places in the section of Music and Shows. Here we find concerts, wrestling shows, plays or soccer games. Exists a calendar in which we could theoretically add events to receive reminders, although there is no button to schedule future trips.
Explore may work well in the 15 US cities where you also debut today. In the case of Mexico City, it can be seen that Uber did not make the slightest effort to take advantage of this new feature.