Tech Trend 247

Uber users in London can now request a ride hours, days or weeks in advance, the company announced Thursday. 

London is the first European city to get the "Scheduled Rides" feature. It goes live at 4 p.m. Thursday local time for folks who have an Uber for Business account or a Business Profile, and it will be rolled out to other Uber customers in London "in the next fortnight." 

The feature works as follows: Tap on "Schedule a ride" on the main screen, select a pickup date and time — it can be as little as 15 minutes from now, or a maximum of 30 days in advance — your pickup location and destination and you're set. 

“Many of our riders, especially business customers, have asked us to introduce this feature and we’re really excited to bring it to Londoners from today," Tom Elvidge, General Manager of Uber in London, said in a statement. 

With the feature, Uber closes another gap between its service and regular minicab services, which usually offers the option to schedule rides in advance. 

Uber is not exactly popular among London cabbies, and massive protests against the service were staged in London and other European cities in 2014. That didn't stop Uber from greatly expanding its offering in London since it was declared legal there that same year; most recently, in May, the company introduced a wheelchair-friendly option in the city.