Uber Is Re-Launching Ride Shares To Bring Back Budget Transportation In The U.S.

Uber Is Re-Launching Ride Shares To Bring Back Budget Transportation In The U.S.

Uber is bringing back a feature that allows customers in major U.S. cities to pay lower fares when they share rides with strangers, the company said Tuesday.

Due to Covid rules in several countries and the requirement for social distance, the pool function was banned two years ago. Uber is now bringing it back as UberX Share.

Only a small number of American cities now offer the feature. However, as summer approaches and more people hit the road, additional locations across America will also receive the much-expected improvement.

UberX Share is now only available to commuters who live in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego, Phoenix, Indianapolis, Portland, and Pittsburgh.

Along with the renaming, the service provider has significantly improved its functionality.

The current fuel crisis affects both drivers and customers who rely on platforms like Uber, as filling up a car can easily cost more than $100 in several U.S. states.

With the launch of UberX Share, users will be able to split the cost of a ride with other commuters, making travel affordable again.

This new version brings a couple of important improvements.

Uber Headquarters

Riders have the option to “Share a Ride, Get Savings”; meaning they get an upfront discount when they use UberX Share, or up to 20% off the fare if they find another passenger along the way. 

Uber also promises to keep drivers “Stay on Schedule.” To maximize time for drivers and passengers and avoid pick-up and drop-off delays, the new service will only match riders who are traveling on the same route.

In order to further increase service consistency for the summer, UberX Share drivers are required to arrive no more than 8 minutes after their UberX counterparts.

In addition to the previously announced improvements to rideshare matching and wait times, UberX Share will only allow two users at a time. Uber rides should become much more convenient after this upgrade.