Uber claims to have made one billion journeys since its launch in 2010, underlining the massive growth of the ride-sharing service and its challenge to the traditional taxi industry.
The company said its billionth trip was completed in London on Christmas Eve - five and a half years after its first journey in San Francisco.
The figure suggests that Uber has averaged more than 600,000 rides a day since its driver-hailing app went online, although the figure today is much higher. Uber said last year that it was arranging 1 million trips per day, and has since expanded in dozens of new cities around the world.
The company - whose app connects prospective passengers to freelance drivers, charging the passenger's credit card and taking a cut - has raised billions of dollars at a valuation of $62.5bn, which would make it the world's most valuable startup.
However, it has faced a series of threats from regulators in cities where it operates, including London, where the capital's transport authority hasproposed regulations that would damage its ability to operate. Last week, Transport for London closed a consultation on 25 proposals for minicabs, such as a minimum five-minute wait time between ordering a ride and it starting. It will unveil plans in the new year.
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