Uber is preparing to reintroduce a carpooling service to its platform, more than a year after shutting down UberPool due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It may or may not be identical to UberPool prior to the pandemic.
The plans to include a carpool service option once more are in response to high Uber prices, which are said to have increased by 20% compared to 2020 prices.
Uber is planning to relaunch its carpool service
As Uber prices remain high, the company intends to reintroduce its carpooling service.
According to The Verge, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi stated in a call with investors, “We are launching an Uber shared pool product.”
The decision to reinstate a carpooling service option on the platform is seen as a response to Uber’s high prices. According to The Verge, Uber prices increased by 20% compared to 2020 prices.
“We have been investing for years in a high-capacity product, which is looking more and more appealing as it relates to a unit economic basis, where that can bring the price significantly lower,” said Uber’s CEO.
Is it going to be UberPool?
Uber previously offered a carpooling service called UberPool on its platform. UberPool enabled three different passengers to share a single vehicle based on their destinations. According to Uber’s website, it was regarded as one of the more affordable options available.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Uber shut down the service in March 2020, and it has been unavailable for more than a year.
According to The Verge, UberPool was not popular among Uber drivers either. Low customer ratings and the algorithm, which many have deemed inefficient, were among the reasons given by drivers for dissatisfaction with the service.
Is the relaunch of a carpooling service on Uber’s platform an indication that UberPool is returning to its pre-pandemic state? According to The Verge, this may not be the case.
According to The Verge, Khosrowshahi “hinted that it could be more like an employee shuttle service using Uber’s matching technology that the company could sell to its corporate clients.”
According to the report, a company spokesperson “called the employee shuttle a’separate effort’ from the carpooling service, but declined to share more details.”
The COVID-19 Pandemic and Uber
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted Uber and other car-hailing services.
Lyft, Uber’s competitor, was also forced to discontinue its carpooling service.
According to The Verge, Uber has struggled to cope with the pandemic due to drivers leaving the platform and prices rising. The report also mentions that the company is dealing with issues related to both supply and demand.