I built a service called Rotary Rider [0], which allowed you to order an Uber using just your voice. No need for a smartphone or the Uber app, you could call in using any touch-tone enabled voice line (that you had registered) and speak your current address and the address of your destination and we would present ride options and prices. Choose an option to book and then we would call you back when the driver was minutes away.

The idea was primarily about accessibility - removing the requirements of needing a smartphone and app opens rideshare up to everyone. It was also a great backup option for those times when you need a ride but your phone doesn't have a good data connection.

The system was finished and I was literally double-checking everything and preparing for a test ride (I even bought a Nokia feature phone to prove I wasn't using the Uber app) when Uber cut off access to their API (for everyone, not just me). I had always planned to integrate Lyft as well, but getting shut down on Uber really took the wind out my sails and the project died. I obviously still have all the code and if someone here works for Lyft and wants to see what ordering a ride without an app looks like, I could probably be persuaded to pick it back up.

[0] - https://web.archive.org/web/20200804021958/https://rotaryrid...