You’ll soon be able to take your pet in an Uber in Australia – but it’ll cost you a little extra

• Uber is set to a pilot of its Uber Pet service in Australia this week, letting you bring your pet along for the ride.

• The trial is available in Sydney and Brisbane and – if it proves popular – Uber will look into rolling it out nationwide.

• Uber Pet, however, will cost you an extra $6 "pet fee" in Brisbane and $7 in Sydney.

• Visit Business Insider Australia’s homepage for more stories.

---

Uber is set to launch Uber Pet, a feature which lets you bring your pet along with you on your journey, in Australia on Tuesday.

The rideshare company will be piloting the service in Sydney and Brisbane and, if it receives a positive response, it will be rolled out nationally.

When you select the Uber Pet option, you get matched with a driver who is able to pick up both you and your pet. However, it will cost you an extra $6 fee in Brisbane and $7 in Sydney. This "pet fee" was based on the average cost of a trip in those cities.

Uber Pet has come to Australia following a trial in some cities in the US last year, as Techcrunch reported.

"We saw that there was a huge amount of demand from our Australia and New Zealand users for a similar product here," Carissa Simons, Communications Manager at Uber Australia and New Zealand, told Business Insider Australia.

"I think there [are] a lot of cities where pets aren't welcome on public transport. And if you don't own a car, or you're just not using a car for that particular journey, it can be really hard to get around with the furry members of your family."

The service is designed for anyone who wants to take their pets with them in an Uber. It allows for any kind of domesticated animal, although it was mainly made with dogs and cats in mind.

Simons emphasised that it isn't for people with service animals, as they are already able to use Uber as normal.

"Service animals are always allowed to go anywhere their owner goes," she said. "So if someone has a service animal, they should continue to order UberX or Uber Comfort or Uber Premier – whatever their preferred Uber product is."

Drivers don't have to add anything to their cars with Uber Pet. But Simons said in the US most drivers would have a rug or mat handy. "It is up to the driver," she added.

Drivers were informed about Uber Pet in February and if they wanted to opt out of the service, they could.

"We've seen very low opt out rates," Simons said. "So I think this is something that a lot of drivers are excited to see as well."