Uber Child Seats launches to provide parents and caregivers with a safe and convenient transport option at the tap of a button

Uber has announced a step forward in offering more family friendly rides, with the launch of a new pilot enabling parents and guardians in Melbourne to reserve a ride with an installed child seat. 

Selected for the pilot due to its high density of family households*, Melbourne will be the first Australian City to trial the feature from today, with a view to rolling it out nationally next year. 

Through a partnership with Baby Bunting, Australia’s leading baby goods retailer and car seat specialist, Uber Child Seats will connect riders needing to travel with children to Uber driver-partners equipped with pre-approved child seats.

Driver-partners taking part in the pilot have been educated to safely install child seats in their vehicles by Baby Bunting’s accredited ‘Baby on Board’ child seat installers, following workshops and competency knowledge checks at Baby Bunting centres in Victoria. 

How it works:

  • To access the feature, parents and guardians can schedule an Uber Child Seats trip in the app between 30 minutes and up to 30 days in advance. Each Uber Child Seats trip can fit up to 5 passengers, including two children maximum. The trip fare is locked-in upfront and includes a $9.99 surcharge to cover additional services involved in Uber Child Seat trips. 
  • Uber will match riders with a driver-partner offering child seats trips. Eligible driver-partners have been educated and verified by specialist Baby Bunting child seat installers prior to providing these trips. 
  • When the driver-partner is on the way to the pick up point, riders must confirm child seat requirements with the driver-partner, with a choice of one child seat suitable for 0 – 4 year olds, and/ or one booster seat suitable for 4 – 8 year olds.
  • Prior to the start of the trip, the driver-partner is responsible for correctly installing the child seat, and the parent/ guardian must ensure their child is properly secured into the child seat. Riders should allow for additional time for driver-partners to install the seats before the trip begins. All children must be accompanied by an adult throughout the trip.

Dom Taylor, General Manager of Uber ANZ said: “We know there’s huge demand for family friendly rides, and at Uber we want to support Aussie families to move around as easily and safely as possible,”

“Uber Child Seats has huge potential to make transport more convenient for many Aussie parents and guardians, while supporting driver-partners with more earning opportunities during the daytime, when most families travel. Along with the driver-partners involved in the pilot, we’re excited to be bringing this safe and convenient transport option to Melbourne families, just in time for the summer holidays.”

Matt Spencer, CEO and Managing Director at Baby Bunting said: “Baby Bunting’s core purpose is to support families and safety is our number one priority. Our child seat installation service has highly trained installers who fit over 130,000 car seats every year at our stores around Australia to ensure that children can travel safely with their families. We are proud to be partnering with Uber to assist it to put in place a program that allows families to access to safe and convenient child seat rides.”