By Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, India (Reuters) - Uber (NYSE:UBER) launched a water transport hailing service on scenic Dal Lake in India's Kashmir region on Monday, offering rides on boats popular with tourists.
Users of the service can book trips on the lake's traditional wooden Shikara boats if they make reservations at least 12 hours and up to 15 days in advance, Uber officials said.
The ride-hailing app already offers water transport services in London and some other cities but this is its first in India.
Around 4,000 Shikaras, often ornately decorated and canopied, operate on Dal Lake and are popular among locals as well as tourists.
Uber will match customers with Shikara operators but will not charge a fee on rides booked through its app. All of the boat ticket paid by passengers would go to the Shikara operator, it said.
"Uber Shikara is our humble attempt to blend technology and tradition to give a seamless experience to travellers for their Shikara ride," said Prabhjeet Singh, president, Uber India and South Asia.
Shikara operators were divided on Uber's entry to their sector, with some saying it would boost their business now that tourists can book rides well in advance, while others insisted it would make little difference.
"It will boost our business. There will be fixed rates, no cheating, and no scope for bargaining," said Wali Mohammad Bhatt, president of the Shikara Owners Association.
Shikara operator Shabir Ahmed was sceptical, saying operators would not be impacted.
"We have our own customer base," he said.
Kashmir is claimed in full but ruled in part by India and Pakistan. The part under India's control - the country's only Muslim-majority region - has been roiled by violence for decades as militants have fought security forces. However, violence has fallen in recent years and the Kashmir Valley - called the Switzerland of India - has seen a gradual rise in the number of tourists.