New Delhi, Mar 29 (IANS): On demand-driver hiring platform, DriveU on Monday launched a first-of-its-kind, fully automated way to book a private driver through WhatsApp enabled through an AI-powered chatbot.

DriveU enables consumers to hire temporary drivers to drive them for their regular shopping, running errands, business meetings, airport drops and pickups, day-to-day commuting, outstation travels and attending social events at restaurants, bars, concerts, weddings, parties and more.

"DriveU has always strived to make booking a driver frictionless. With this solution, we aim to solve issues like poor connectivity, reluctance to download another app. All one needs to do is chat with us and easily create a booking with just a few message exchanges," Ashok Shastry, Co-founder and COO, said in a statement.

According to the company, past two months have witnessed a significant uptick in bookings. DriveU's data suggest that consumers are becoming more confident to venture out of their homes and use service providers such as DriveU, which ensures flexibility and safety in their own vehicles.

Present in nine cities, DriveU has a network of verified and trained drivers on demand.