Birmingham, Uber, Uber statewide launch, Uber statewide launch in Alabama — Photo via Uber.

Big things are happening for Uber! This Sunday, July 1, the company will be launching statewide service across AL. Now, everyone in the state will be able to ride with Uber.

Uber’s official statewide launch is just in time for the 4^th of July holiday. Great news for all you party-hard types needing a ride home after celebrating!

You may not know this, but Uber is a proud supporter of helping to stop drunk driving. So in celebration of the statewide launch, Uber is partnering with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to raise awareness about the dangers of impaired driving.

“Uber is committed to helping make drinking and driving a thing of the past by connecting people to reliable rides at the push of a button,” Kasra Moshkani, southeast general manager of the company said. “As Uber launches throughout AL and brings service to new communities, we are proud to partner with MADD to encourage those celebrating during the July 4^th holiday to make smart choices.”

What Does A Statewide Launch Mean?

Currently, Uber only has service in a handful of cities in AL. (We’re lucky in Birmingham and already have it.) After the statewide launch, Uber service won’t stop at specific city limits, which means everyone across the state can ride with Uber. Awesome!

Birmingham, Uber, Lyft, Uber in Alabama, Uber statewide launch in Alabama — Photo via Ride Share Informer.

What Caused The Statewide Launch?

Until now, only 11 cities in AL had Uber. Each city also had their own regulations on ride-sharing services. But with a new law that AL Gov. Kay Ivey passed in March, state regulations are changing. The new law places regulation of the ride-sharing industry in the hands of the Public Service Commission and sets up uniform rules, replacing the patchwork of regulations that existed in a handful of cities that had Uber service.

If you read between the lines, it basically means the state will have one set of ride-sharing regulations to go by. In turn, access to Uber will be available all over the state.

Why Is This Good News For AL?

Everyone in the state will have greater access to affordable transportation.
The number of DUI-related incidents may decrease.

“There is never an excuse to drink and drive, and Uber’s expansion throughout AL will make it easier than ever to get a safe ride home,” said Pamela Morton, AL state director of MADD. “We are proud to team up with Uber to make progress on our goal of getting to zero – zero deaths – zero injuries, zero families impacted by impaired driving.”

It will create more jobs in AL.

How many jobs you ask? Currently, there is no set number of jobs the statewide launch will create, but estimates have ben released that show numbers in the four-digit range. Not only full-time positions, but also part-time gigs to earn extra cash. And we could all use some of that!