Uber officially launches Uber Express Pool

After months of trial in San Francisco, Uber is officially launching Express Pool, its new service that gets you cheaper fares in exchange for a little walking on your part. The company’s ride algorithm will match you and the driver to a pick-up location, which you will have to walk to.

In the Uber Express Pool service, when commuters hail a cab, they will be asked to walk to a nearby spot or wait a few minutes before the trip starts. It will work in the same way while dropping off. This will help Uber's algorithm to go through nearby locations, drivers, and other riders to optimise the route by covering the shortest distance possible, so that a higher number of riders can benefit.

Uber’s both competitors in the US- Via and Lyft, offer pooling services where you share the ride with someone else for a cheaper fare. Since pricing for these services is so competitive, Uber is struggling with appeasing three different variables: the driver, who complains that Uber Pool is more work for the same pay; the rider, who will go with whatever ride is the cheapest from whatever company; and the shareholders, who want to see Uber’s profits go up.

“We think carpooling is very much the way of the future,” Ethan Stock, director of product for shared rides at Uber, told The Verge. “Not only for our service, but we think the transformation of car ownership towards carpooling is going to be tremendously beneficial for cities, for the environment, for all the reasons that we’re very familiar with — congestion, pollution, etc.”

The service is coming to coming to DC, LA, Miami, Philadelphia, San Diego and Denver, and more cities will be added over the next few weeks and months across the US.