Imagine a future in which we all navigate the urban jungle in slick, driverless cars that are ordered via app. With no labour costs, these cars are the new buses – a public transport system that’s more convenient than ever. This is what the future will look like if Uber has anything to do with it.

Uber is estimated to have reaped $210 million in revenue over the course of 2013, proving that the platform is ever-growing in popularity. Shuddle is an app that aims to provide an Uber-esque service for children getting to and from school when no-one is around to take them.

While it’s been a big part of the personal mobility revolution, Uber has been heavily criticised for some of its controversial practices. How has German rival Blacklane – which now serves 180 cities across 50 countries – managed to expand its chauffeur-driven service without courting controversy?

Push for a pizza, swipe for a cleaner and tap for a taxi. The rise of apps like Uber is facilitating the culture of ‘I want it, and I want it now’. For digital-savvy city-dwellers from London to Beijing, everything you need – from your dinner to a ride home – is just an app away.