Added Pilar Rocha-Goldberg, President and CEO, El Centro Hispano: "Working together with Uber presents an exciting opportunity for North Carolinians to get safe rides when they need them and earn a living on a flexible schedule across the Tar Heel state." Uber is an app that allows people to use their personal vehicles to make extra money as taxi drivers or request a ride through their smartphone. Uber drivers have been criticized for not being subjected to the same licensing, registration and insurance fees as taxi cab drivers, which they say allows Uber drivers to charge less and create unfair competition. Uber says its drivers have generated over $20 million in revenues in North Carolina since the service launched last year. That income is expected to reach $1.6 billion by 2020. "Uber is a valuable resource, providing a service and job opportunities in the Triangle region," noted Farad Ali, president and CEO for The Institute for Economic Development, in a statement about the UberUp program.