Uber introducing carpooling option in Vancouver
Vancouver is one of three Canadian cities where Uber is set to introduce a ride-sharing option, a move being touted as a more sustainable and affordable option for customers.
In a media release Sunday, the ride-hailing giant said its new UberX Share option will launch later this week and will incentivize drivers and riders alike to choose an option akin to carpooling.
"We know affordability plays a role when people are making decisions on how to get from point A to B,” said Michael van Hemmen, General Manager of Uber Canada Mobility in the statement.
'We’re committed to providing sustainable, shared alternatives to the personal car and UberX Share is our newest way for people to be part of the climate solution," the media release continues.
For riders, Uber says choosing to share will result in savings of up to 20 per cent per trip. Drivers will get an extra dollar each time they pick up an extra passenger and the company says that the fares collected will generally be higher because shared trips are longer. It's estimated that choosing this option adds about six minutes to each trip.
The sharing option can only be requested by people booking a trip from within the City of Vancouver and part of Burnaby, but destinations are not limited by these borders.
This map, provided by Uber, shows the boundaries of where its new sharing service can be requested.
The sharing option is a "revamped" version of UberPool, which was offered in Toronto before being put on pause due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
"Shared rides have long been a rider favourite, 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," says the statement form the company.
An exact launch date was not provided. The service will also be available in Montreal and Toronto.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in U.S. if legal options fail, Reuters sources say
TikTok owner ByteDance would prefer to shut down its loss-making app rather than sell it if the Chinese company exhausts all legal options to fight legislation to ban the platform from app stores in the U.S., four sources said.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.