Uber to bring back shared rides with new name

San Francisco, Nov 17 : Ride-hailing major Uber is reportedly bringing back shared rides with a new name, UberX Share, which is a revamped car-pooling product and is available first as a pilot in Miami, the US.

Uber suspended its Uber Pool car-pooling feature in March 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, but the company promised earlier this month that it planned to bring shared rides back, reports The Verge.

Uber prices have gone way up recently, so a car-pooling option allows the company to offer cheaper costs that could make taking an Uber a more popular transportation option.

On an UberX Share ride, users will only ride with one other person (in addition to the driver) during the trip. Everyone in the car must wear a mask, even if they are all vaccinated.

UberX Share rides will have a 5 per cent discount, and users will get Uber Cash if another person is picked up during the trip, the report said.

It is unclear when UberX Share might expand, and the company said on Tuesday it did not have anything additional to share about future rollout plans to other cities.

Uber rival Lyft brought back shared rides in July after also suspending the feature in March 2020. Similar to Uber, only one other rider can join, and everyone must wear a mask.