Uber brings back Pool option in certain cities
UberX Share will be available in NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco
Uber announced Tuesday that shared rides will be available again in cities across the country.
UberX Share, formerly known as "Uber Pool," will be an option for riders in the cities of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Phoenix, San Diego, Portland, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh.
Uber said it planned to expand the initiative to even more cities over the course of the summer.
"Since pausing shared rides in 2020, our teams have been working tirelessly to revamp the experience," the company said in a release.
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After receiving driver and rider feedback, redesigning, testing and troubleshooting using pilots, the new UberXShare will allow riders to receive an "upfront discount" if choosing UberX Share, getting up to 20% off the total fare, if matched with a co-rider along the way.
Riders will only be matched with others heading in the same direction, and Uber said the program was designed so that riders arrive no more than eight minutes later than an UberX ride.
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"Our pooling product has long been a rider favorite, from the spontaneous singalongs to meeting new friends and other fun chance encounters. We believe UberX Share, and the improvements we’ve made for drivers and riders, will make it better than ever," Uber said.
Uber announced that it would be suspending the Pool option in March 2020, the height of the COVID-19 outbreak.
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"We want to help ensure the safety of everyone in our cities while being available for essential travel needs. Because of this, we are reminding riders, with in-app messages, to travel only when necessary and take steps to protect themselves and their drivers," the company tweeted at the time.