Google launches its carpooling service!
A first phase of testing limited to a group of employees already took place last May and, according to rumor, Google aims to extend the service to all Waze users in San Francisco…and beyond!
The service aims to connect commuters who travel on the same route. It will only be aimed at non-professional drivers and, ideally, at people who work in the same company as their passengers, or in neighbouring companies.
Alphabet bought Waze, a community-based GPS app used by millions of drivers, three years ago. Now, with the software, drivers and passengers will be able to take short trips together . In return, vehicle owners will receive a fee of 54 cents per mile driven, or about 48 cents for every 1.6 kilometers.
Carpool positions itself as a “carpooling coordinator”. Unlike Uber, it is not an on-demand driver service but a mobile application whose goal is to connect users on the way to work, the driver being limited to two rides per day.
The app is expected to launch this fall.