Uber is launching a service in London that allows passengers to share a ride with strangers for a 25 per cent discount.
The Uber Pool scheme will allow up to three passengers to share a ride at a fixed fare, which will be 25 per cent cheaper than the firm’s most affordable option Uber X.
Passengers will have to select Uber Pool on the app and it works the same way as the normal service, except you could be matched with another person heading in the same direction either before you’re picked up or on route.
Uber said those sharing would not be taken “more than a few minutes out of your way”.
Under the new booking system going live on Friday at 4pm, a fare from Clapham Common to Shoreditch could be around £10 and from Heathrow to Soho just over £30.
The passenger will pay a separate fare to the co-rider, be billed separately and emailed their own receipt. The other person will also never have access to payment or personal information.
Travel buyers have previously raised security concerns over services such as Uber but the company insists it’s safe - Passengers can now use the ‘Share my ETA’ function to send a live map of your journey to friends or your employer.
The announcement by Uber is likely to cause further tensions between the company and London cab drivers, who have staged numerous protests against the service over the past couple of years.
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