All hail the best rides home: The tech to get you from A to B this party season

From electric bikes to car pools, stay safe during travels this party season 
Hop in: there are plenty of ways to catch a cab this party season — from electric cars to ride sharing
Kapten
Amelia Heathman28 November 2019

Party season has officially arrived — a welcome distraction from the wet weather and general election anxiety. After an evening quaffing champagne and finding a venue’s best selfie light, there comes the moment when someone requests Queen’s We Are the Champions and everyone pulls out Citymapper to find the best way home.

Fortunately, this year has seen a wealth of ride-hailing apps pop up in London offering a myriad of ways to get you from A to B.

From affordable versions to eco-friendly rides, here’s how to get home in style this December.

Pedal to the metal

No one wants to show up to the party first, so speed is not of the essence at the start of the night. If you’re in the mood for a leisurely ride hop on one of the many electric bikes you can find around the city.

There’s Uber’s bright red Jump bikes (uber.com) — over 60,000 rides have been taken on them since they arrived in May — Lime’s green cycles (li.me) and if you’re in the City, you can grab a ride on Beryl’s emerald green bikes (beryl.cc).

All cost £1 to unlock in their respective apps, then a Lime bike will cost 15p per minute, Jump bikes come in at 12p, while Beryl’s version is 5p per minute. The electric battery means you can cruise away without breaking a sweat and burn calories in the process. Don’t drink and ride — it’s a criminal offence to cycle under the influence.

Affordable rides

For one of the cheapest ways to get home, look no further than Bolt (bolt.eu). The Estonian-based app had a previous turn in London as Taxify but was quickly booted out by Transport for London for not having the right licence. It arrived back with a flourish in June and pledges to be one of the more affordable ways to get around London.

Bolt arrived in London earlier this year
Bolt

Journeys are 10 per cent cheaper than its rivals because drivers pay up to 50 per cent less commission, making it a win-win for them and riders.

In October, the company added an XL category to cater for large groups and families. With more than 30,000 drivers on the platform, the average wait time is a mere four minutes.

Electric wheels

Looking for a Greta-friendly ride? Try Kapten (kapten.com), which arrived in London this July, and which last week launched Electric Class — allowing customers to book rides with drivers using battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles that are zero emission-capable.

With 1,100 electric cars on the platform, 2,500 rides have already been taken using Kapten’s electric class cars so far.

You can make your Kapten ride even more virtuous thanks to its Ride4Good feature; at the end of every journey Kapten rounds up the cost to the nearest pound and donates the difference to the Epic Foundation, which gives the money to organisations fighting childhood and youth inequality.

Party bus

Sometimes it can be lonely to cruise home solo which is where shared rides come in. ViaVan (viavan.com) specialises in group rides. Instead of matching customers with an individual car, you book a seat in one of its Mercedes-Benz vans and join people on a similar route.

More than seven million trips have been taken in ViaVan’s vans since last year, though Christmas is a particularly busy time: there was a 20 per cent increase in rides during the holidays last year, with peak areas including Mayfair, Covent Garden and Soho.

ViaVan CEO Chris Snyder says ViaVan is about offering an alternative to single-occupancy trips. “ViaVan provides the same ease and accessibility as a private car, but with the affordability and congestion-reducing benefits of public transport.”

More than seven million rides have been taken in ViaVan's Mercedez vans since last year
Viavan

Car-pooling is something Uber is encouraging its London customers to try, too. It recently dropped the prices for UberPool and it is now up to 55 per cent cheaper than using UberX, so you can save those pennies for a snack on the way back. More than 800,000 Londoners have hailed an UberPool ride this year, and you can now book two seats in a car so a friend can come along.

The tech company recently had its license revoked by TfL over safety concerns, though it will operate in the city this festive season and plans to appeal the decision.

Down on the platform

With all those cars on the roads picking and dropping off passengers, sometimes it’s best to rely on TfL to get you home with the Night Tube.

For those partying near Leicester Square or Tottenham Court Road, look out for the Soho Angels. As part of a partnership between TfL and Westminster council, volunteers will be around the stations to offer help and support to anyone who may feel vulnerable after a night out.

Party on safely, London.

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