While not available in every city (yet or ever), Uber and Lyft have rolled out two new products designed very similarly to public transit. Called Uber Express POOL and Lyft Shuttle, the services offer passengers lower fares in exchange for asking passengers to congregate in one area for you, the driver, to pick them all up. They will then be dropped off at one location. Today, senior contributor John Ince explains how this works, public feedback, and what it could mean for drivers.
Recently, Uber rolled out a new product in San Francisco and a few other cities called Express POOL, which promises passengers dramatically lower fares in return for asking said passenger to walk a short distance to predetermined pickup and drop-off spots.
Lyft has its own version called Lyft Shuttle where passengers follow pre-determined routes and everything is a flat $3 fare.
Uber’s Express POOL’s variable fares are dramatically lower than UberPOOL, often by over 50%. And both Lyft Shuttle and Express POOL allow up to 4 passengers. If this seems a lot like a bus pickup, it’s because that’s definitely the direction Uber and Lyft are heading. So far, these services are being tested in places like San Francisco and Chicago but it could be just a matter of time before they roll out to other cities.
