It was exciting news last summer when Uber announced the return of its most affordable ride option.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic seemingly came out of nowhere, Uber was thriving and offered a variety of different types of rides.
After society adopted the idea of riding with a stranger, Uber implemented carpooling with multiple strangers.
The concept was a success, as it was much more affordable than having the car to yourself. Sharing with a person you just randomly matched with by pressing a few buttons was a significant way to save some money.
During the pandemic, in compliance with various COVID rules, the idea of too many people in a small space suggested a higher risk of spreading the virus.
Carpooling was eliminated for the foreseeable future. Yet in the Summer of 2022, Uber brought it back and has since tweaked the concept for the better.
Amidst travel making a comeback the past couple of years, the announcement was a small step in the right direction for a sense of normalcy again.
Ride-sharers should be excited to know the latest rendition of carpooling is here to stay and expanding to more U.S. cities.
What Is UberX Share?
Uber has several reasons they are promoting this new ride option.
The more people who share the same ride means less emissions are being emitted into our air, and Uber wants to become a “zero-emissions mobility platform” during this decade across Europe, Canada and the United States.
Drivers will also appreciate paying less in gas and putting fewer miles on the odometer. That’s one reason they are holding firm to this newly revamped ride-share option, UberX Share.
The other being it’s much more affordable to riders. Simply choosing to share a ride with another passenger along a similar route will equal instant savings for both passengers while also reducing emissions.
With savings of up to 20%, this sounds like a win-win situation all around. At times, during the past edition of carpooling, the routes could be a little wonky.
Maybe your route was heading West, but your fellow passenger needed to make a u-turn East before getting back on track. That’s when you might ask, “is this hassle worth it?”.
Uber knows these past frustrations and has taken steps to improve timeliness and efficiency for everyone involved.
Now, passengers will only be matched if they are heading in the same direction. The goal is to arrive no later than 8 minutes difference compared to UberX rides.
Where Is UberX Share Expanding?
Uber has already been actively operating UberX Share rides in multiple major cities across the globe.
Users of the mega-popular rideshare app will soon be able to hitch a ride in 5 more U.S. cities since the relaunch has been such a hit.
There is no exact date for when these new cities will have UberX Share available to them. Uber only announced, “in the coming weeks”.
They also announced these additions are just the tip of the iceberg, with more cities to come in the near future.
The following 5 cities have been chosen to offer more affordable Uber rides:
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Miami, Florida
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- The nation’s Capital – Washington D.C.
Where Else Does UberX Share Already Operate?
UberX Share rides are a global concept spanning many countries. Although the latest expansion only covers U.S. cities, users can find many other places that already offer carpooling.
Current carpooling cities in North America:
- Chicago, Illinois
- Los Angeles, California
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Pittsburgh, Pennysvania
- San Diego, California
- New York City, New York
- Portland, Oregon
- San Francisco, California
- Vancouver, Canada
- Montreal, Canada
- Toronto, Canada
Other international carpooling cities:
- Paris, France
- Wellington, New Zealand
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Christchurch, New Zealand
- Doha, Qatar
- Lagos, Nigeria
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Nairobi, Kenya
- Accra, Ghana
- Newcastle, United Kingdom
- Kyiv, Ukraine
- Sunshine Coast, Australia
- Sydney, Australia
- Perth, Australia
- Melbourne, Australia
- Hobart, Australia
- Gold Coast, Australia
- Canberra, Australia
- Brisbane, Australia
- Adelaide, Australia
- Darwin, Australia
- Eastern Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Those who are new to the idea of rideshare can simply download the Uber app to set up a profile and learn more.
