Uber Relaunches its Shared Ride Service in Nine US Cities

Sophie Webster, Tech Times 21 June 2022, 12:06 pm

On Tuesday, June 21, ride-hailing company Uber announced that it would relaunch its shared-ride service in nine US cities after putting a pause since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The service, which is now called UberX Share, will relaunch in mid-2022.

Uber Share Ride Service to Relaunch

According to CNBC, the ride-hailing company will make the service available in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, Portland, San Diego, Pittsburgh, and Indianapolis. The service will be expanded to other cities in the future.

In November 2021, Uber relaunched UberX Share as part of its pilot program, and it was only available in Miami.

How UberX Share Works

When someone uses UberX Share, they will get a 20% off of their total fare if they are matched with another rider. In order to avoid a long wait time, the service matches riders who are going to the same direction.

Also Read: Uber and Lyft Drop Face Mask Requirements on Ride-Sharing, As Per CDC

Andrew Macdonald, the senior vice president of mobility at Uber, describes UberX Share as a service that provides a more efficient, affordable, and sustainable experience for passengers and drivers.

Issues with UberX Share

Uber's carpool service has had a lot of issues since its launch. According to Engadget, those who choose UberX Share arrive approximately eight minutes late to their destination than riders who select the solo Uber service.

Also, even though the service is designed for riders on a tight budget, it does not help the drivers.

Drivers have reportedly earned less per passenger on shared rides compared to driving solo passengers.

Drivers also have to deal with coordinating multiple drop-offs and pick-offs per trip.

To combat this, the company has made several changes this time in order to make the service more driver-friendly. Passengers can only request the service themselves, and only one co-rider can join them per trip.

UberX Shares allowed passengers to book two seats, and during busy times, they could match the drivers with more than one co-rider. This new rule is expected to create a better passenger and driver experience.

Increasing Gas Prices

Uber's announcement came amid country-wide gas price increases and the company's sustainability initiatives.

The company aims to become a zero-emission platform by 2040 and have all of its rides in Canada, the US, and several European cities in electric vehicles by 2030.

According to Forbes, in 2025, Uber will provide a budget of $800 million intended for vehicle purchase assistance to help its drivers switch from traditional vehicles to electric vehicles.

If the ride-hailing company successfully hits its timeline, it will reach its milestones in its operations 10 years ahead of the Paris Climate Agreement set for 2050.

The company launched Uber Green in 15 US and Canadian cities in 2020. For passengers who are willing to spend a bit more, they can request an EV or hybrid electric vehicle for their ride.

Currently, Uber Green is available in more than 65 cities worldwide. Passengers who select the service will also get three times the Uber Rewards points they would have received for an ordinary Uber ride.