An Uber car waits for a client in New York City. Photo: Spencer Platt via Getty Images
Uber is bringing back shared rides in several U.S. cities, after halting the service for more than two years in an attempt to help protect riders — and drivers — from COVID-19.
Driving the news: Uber said Tuesday that UberX Share is arriving in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Phoenix, San Diego, Portland, Oregon, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh, with more cities to be added later in the summer.
Details: The ride-share program has been rebranded from Uber Pool to UberX Share.
- Riders will receive an upfront discount if they choose UberX Share and get up to 20% off the total fare, if matched with a co-rider along the way, per the announcement.
The big picture: Uber and Lyft halted shared rides in March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread across the world.
- In the summer of 2021, Lyft started to bring back shared rides in Philadelphia, Chicago and Denver in a sign that several cities were starting to return to the pre-pandemic normal.
What they're saying: "We believe UberX Share, and the improvements we’ve made for drivers and riders, will make it better than ever," Uber's Andrew Macdonald, senior vice president of mobility and business operations, wrote in a blog post.