Uber enables booking group rides with known passengers

Uber India has launched a new option on its app called Group Rides to allow passengers to take rides with acquaintances.

The company told YourStory it has no plans to revive Uber Pool, the previous iteration of its ride-sharing feature that paired individuals at random. Uber Pool was shuttered in 2020.

Group Rides will allow commuters to exclusively split a cab with friends and acquaintances they know, the company says. Up to three individuals can reserve seats in the same vehicle.

The person initiating the ride will simply have to share a link with their group via any social messaging platform, after which each rider can select their own drop-off point. The only caveat is all riders have to be heading in the same direction.

The final fare, taking into consideration all sorts of deviations, will be split equally among all riders, the company says.

Group Rides will lead to cost savings of up to 30% for each passenger, the company added.

The option has already been rolled out pan-India. Uber offers Group Rides in the US, Brazil, and Mexico.

Uber in May had launched Uber Green, its electric vehicle fleet option, in a bid to offer sustainable, zero-emission rides to customers.

The company said it has signed a deal with the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to help facilitate loans worth Rs 1,000 crore to acquire environmentally friendly vehicles like those running on clean fuels such as CNG.