Uber Technologies Inc. is offering free rides to shelters near Tampa as Hurricane Irma barrels toward the Florida mainland.
The City of Tampa’s Office of Emergency Management publicized the free rides on its Twitter feed, @AlertTampa, and mobile news alert service.
Uber’s offer helps serve a vital need for transportation, as Tampa Bay area residents got late notice that the monster storm that changed track on Saturday and was heading their way. It also provided a chance for the company to burnish an image sullied by a macho culture that prompted the resignation of chief executive officer Travis Kalanick in June. Uber has also been criticized for using its so-called surge pricing in times of crisis.
Irma collided with the Florida Keys early Sunday as a Category 4 storm, with top winds of 130 miles (209 kilometers) an hour, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. It is expected to move north along Florida’s west coast.
The company didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment outside of normal business hours. Nor did Lyft, Uber’s primary competitor.