Express POOL: Uber continues to surprise with cheaper rides

[Darius]

Uber is opening a new super cheap service in the US, called Uber Express POOL. The big difference between this service and UberPOOL is here passengers will have to walk to a specific pickup site. There the riders will share a car, but the fare will be 50% cheaper than an UberPOOL and up to 75% cheaper than an UberX ride.

The new service will open up simultaneously across the US in Los Angeles, San Diego, Denver, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Miami. These sites open up after a pilot was successfully tested in Boston and San Francisco. A typical 8am rush hour ride in SF will cost around $2.90.

Uber's product director for shared rides, Ethan Stock, stated in his blog "Walking and waiting to help us make more optimal matches and provide better, straighter, faster routes with fewer detours, delivering an even more affordable and consistent option than POOL to consumers."

This is an amazing service with a really great value for money, but the question remains, what will drivers be compensated for and will they allow Uber drivers to opt out of this new service if they do not get paid well? Some consider the new service a direct competition to buses. However, Stock told the press that "We don't think that this is at all like a bus. Three of the fundamental things about how buses work is they have fixed pickup and drop-off spots, a fixed route and a fixed time schedule that they're operating on. Everything about the Express POOL product is dynamic."

[andrew_martin]

It will be interesting to see how much a driver will get paid for such a ride. I cannot see any reason why anyone with a car large enough to shuttle people would want to earn so little. It would be better to work for VIA, since this is their strength and they pay accordingly. In fact, I think that Uber has to separate business models for each service, since each one is totally different from the other.

[Steve (Steve Mann)]

Duh! No brainer, of course drivers will get paid 2c for 1 hours work, who wouldn’t want that?

[graham_sandy]

I tried a few the other day; I was loaded with people that did express and people that did not. One gave me some shit about dropping her at the corner just after I dropped the guy before her at his front door. Even less worth it as before. The only time I’ll take them now is if it’s DEAD and it’s a very close pickup.

[mathew_boolean]

I heard ones of driver said, “Express POOL is a ripoff for drivers. I refuse to accept uberPOOL requests because POOL riders are ignorant douche bags who love to give low ratings and never tip. And I will never accept Express POOL. I thought uber could not find a way to make POOL worse, but they did. Uber’s next new service will be Circle Nothing. Drivers will have to drive in a circle all day for no money. A few suckers will do it. Uber will con them with the promises of bonuses then screw them with the fine print.” in the other post about Express Pool under this group FB page.

[andrew_martin]

Uber POOL is a kind of rip off, and there are a lot of shitheads that don’t tip, in many instances I have had some tired wheezing sneezing, wrapper dropping fat dude that didn’t like the ride, complained all the way and then rated 2 stars. He didn’t like the cramped atmosphere. Well guess what dude, go take an Uber Black.

[Steve (Steve Mann)]

In my pinion the issue will be how much does a driver take, not what Uber makes. If Uber wants to continue losing money and paying us drivers, then go ahead. As far as I am concerned if they want to pay riders to take rides they can do that too. At the end of the day, the issue of paying for a service is about paying for a good service. Which means, if the price is too cheap then most probably the service is “shit”, and I say that as an Uber driver.