UBER TO OFFER CHEAPER RIDES
The latest variation of an Uber ride will require a short walk. In eight U.S. cities, the ride-hailing firm is rolling out a service called “Express Pool,” which links riders in the same area who want to travel to similar destinations. Once linked, riders would need to walk a couple of blocks to be picked up at a common location. They also would be dropped off at a site that would be a short walk from their final destinations. Depending on time of day and metro area, Express Pool could cost up to 75 per cent less than a regular Uber ride and up to half the cost of Uber’s shared-ride service called Pool, said Ethan Stock, the company’s product director for shared rides. Pool, which will remain in use, doesn’t require any walking. Instead it takes an often circuitous route to pick up riders at their location and drops them at their destination. Uber has been testing the service since November.