KOCHI: Uber launched its innovative product, uberPOOL, in Kochi on Thursday. It is aimed at encouraging people travelling in one direction to use the same car at around 40% discount.
Up to three people can use a car in the new carpooling scheme, which is expected to lessen congestion on roads, thereby enabling affordable travel and ensuring higher income for drivers. The scheme is already in operation in Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, and Guwahati.
Announcing the launch, Nitin Nair, general manager, Uber India (Kochi), said: “With the launch of uberPOOL in Kochi, we aim to provide reliable first- and last-mile connectivity to public transit systems and get more people in fewer cars at the tap of a button, while also lessening pollution. It also ensures faster availability of cars.”
According to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the average occupancy of a car is just 28%. While a car can carry four people, it only carries 1.15 persons (in India).
Today, over 25% of Uber trips in cities are on uberPOOL, says a Uber press release.
UberPOOL trips can be requested from Kalamassery to Maradu and Infopark to Thevara, and a rider can book a maximum of two seats per trip. The discounted fare is guaranteed to customers, irrespective of whether others on the route avail the scheme.