Uber’s New Route Share Imitates Buses With Fixed Routes and Stops

Uber has launched Route Share as a new ride option which provides fixed-route car rides at half the price of UberX.

The service functions like a small bus system because cars follow set routes while stopping every twenty minutes for passengers to meet the vehicle. The service restricts each ride to a maximum of two additional passengers.

The Verge reports that Route Share operates in seven U.S. cities including New York City and San Francisco and Chicago and Dallas and it runs only during weekday commuting times from 6–10 AM and 4–8 PM.

“We are complementary to public transit,” said Sachin Kansal, Uber’s Chief Product Officer. “We think of this as a journey towards lower and lower car ownership,” as reported by The Verge.

For example, a Route Share journey between the Upper West Side of Manhattan and the Lower East Side costs $19 while an UberX ride would cost $38, according to The Verge. Users can reserve their rides either by planning ahead seven days in advance or by booking at the last minute ten minutes before pickup.

Uber has introduced two new features to help customers save money. The price lock feature enables customers to book up to ten rides at $2.99 per month for a fixed rate. TechCrunch reports that users can purchase prepaid ride passes which provide 15% discounts when they pay for 5 to 20 rides in advance.

Kansal said Uber’s focus is to ease everyday costs: “People are feeling more and more uncertain […] that is definitely generating some anxiety,” as reported by The Verge.

However this claim might raise some suspicions considering how the timing of this comes as Uber tightens control over its workforce and leans further into autonomous vehicles. Additionally, it was reported that Uber’s robotaxis outperformed human drivers in cities like Austin.

This might suggest that Route Share isn’t just rider-focused, but instead it may be Uber’s way of optimizing routes for future self-driving fleets.

Uber plans to expand these features across the U.S. and Brazil and sees a future where Route Share could even use autonomous vehicles. “It’s a very well-defined route… so the pickups and drop-offs are predictable,” Kansal added.