Ride-hailing service Uber will now operate in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, taking the total number of cities where the service is offered to four, said a press release issued by Uber.

The Islamabad district government and management of Uber Pakistan met on Thursday to discuss safe, affordable and reliable transport for the residents, added the statement.

"As the infrastructure of Islamabad has rapidly urbanised, the demand for safe, reliable and affordable transport has grown," said Uber Pakistan General Manager Safee Shah.

Shah added that Uber Pakistan aims at improving the load on the current transport infrastructure.

"We look forward to continue to work with government officials and other local entities on providing transport that would lead to less congestion and better cities," elaborated Shah.

Uber Middle East and Africa Anthony Head Le Roux said that the newly launched ride-hailing service in Islamabad "will shape the future of urban mobility to benefit riders, driver-partners and the environment."

"Pakistan is one of the most important markets in the region for us at Uber and we believe that there is huge potential for growth in Pakistan." he said.

"The feedback we have received from our riders in Karachi and Lahore has been phenomenal and our local team is all geared up to expand our reach to more people across the country, and we are thankful to the Islamabad government for closely working with us," said the regional head of the ride-hailing service.

The meeting was attended by senior government officers from Islamabad and Uber's senior management.

Commenting on the occasion, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Capt. (retd) Mushtaq Ahmad said, “We are very excited to have Uber in Islamabad, and for residents of the city to have access to the technology. We were delighted to meet with Uber’s management and to discuss the impact the technology has on both riders and drivers, from convenient transport to economic opportunities.”

Secretary Islamabad Transport Authority Mr. Syed Jawad Muzaffar also expressed his enthusiasm in working together with Uber's team on the modalities of their service.

The press release added that Uber is celebrating the launch in Islamabad and Rawalpindi by offering free rides to all residents, which they can avail by downloading the app from uber.com/app, entering the promo code UBERLOVESISB and use five free rides up to Rs250 each.