Uber is reportedly bringing back its shared rides feature, and now it will be called UberX Shared. The revamped service is available first as a pilot in Miami, Florida.
Uber Brings Back Carpooling Service
In March 2020, the ride-hailing company Uber had no choice but to suspend its Uber Pool feature due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Uber promised earlier this month that it planned to bring the carpooling feature back, according to The Verge.
Recently, the prices of Uber rides have gone up, so a carpooling feature can allow the company to offer its customers cheaper costs that could make Uber a popular transportation option once again.
On an UberX Share ride, you will only ride with one other passenger, aside from the driver, during the trip.
Everyone in the vehicle must wear a mask, even if they are all fully vaccinated. UberX Share rides give customers a 5% discount, and they will get Uber Cash if another passenger is picked up during the trip, according to Reuters.
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However, it is not clear when UberX Share might expand, and the company stated that it did not have anything additional to share about the rollout plans of the feature to other cities. For now, they are focused on Miami.
Meanwhile, Uber's rival, Lyft, had brought back shared rides in July after suspending the feature last year. Just like Uber, only one other rider can join, and everyone needs to wear a mask. Lyft's shared rides launched in Denver, Chicago, and Philadelphia.
Lyft Brings Back Shared Rides
Lyft's carpooling service is cheaper and more environmentally friendly than Uber and other private cars. Even though shared rides are returning, they are doing so with restrictions, including mask-wearing and social distancing inside the vehicle.
Drivers and passengers will be required to abide by these restrictions at all times, and eating or drinking during the ride is banned, according to CNBC.
The two passengers will have to keep the front and middle seats empty, so there is distance. Drivers and passengers have the option of canceling rides without receiving any penalty if their fellow riders are not following the rules.
Lyft is also changing how shared rides work to make the feature more predictable. Riders will now have the option of booking a shared ride up to half an hour in advance, which the company said will help it match riders who are going in the same direction. It is not clear if Uber will do the same thing.
Pickups, routes, and pricing will be fixed, and the further in advance a trip is booked, the more discounted it will be.
Even though it is not clear how many passengers will be comfortable sharing rides with strangers, even with Uber and Lyft's safety measures in place, carpooling is seen as an important means of reducing the environmental impact of ride-hailing services like Lyft and Uber.
The discounts for using a shared ride could be reduced to 20%, and the service may only be available in certain areas or at certain times of the day.
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Written by Sophie Webster
