Google Waze Rider Better Than Uber? Google's Car Pool Service Launched In San Francisco

Google has now launched its own ride-sharing program, Waze Rider in San Francisco. The service is now going live to the public after series of tests for several months in a private Beta. Google Waze Rider though seems similar to the Uber App, it is a new arena in the on-going battle between the ride-hailing firm and the search giant.

How's It Different?

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the Ride Sharing app is now available for the users in San Francisco area. The Waze Rider, however, has certain differences from other such ride-sharing apps. For instance, the service currently is not for earning a profit. Google's App though offers cheaper travel rate for passengers, the pay for drivers is also quite low, only $0.54 per mile. Due to this low payment rate, the service slips under the regulations that other Apps are required to follow.

Meet #Google’s @Uber competitor "@Waze Rider"
Match drivers and riders --> headed in same directionhttps://t.co/Z3JeC9283f @alexjamesfitz pic.twitter.com/hqrHzdwLED

— Carlos R. Muñoz (@crmunoz27) September 30, 2016

The Car Pool Service aims to match riders to drivers headed in the same direction. The idea is to let drivers fill the cars' empty seats on their routine commutes. This would reduce the density of cars on road and for a heavily populated area like San Francisco, this could totally reduce the traffic. Currently, drivers and riders are allowed to use the app only twice a day in the initial Beta test, Yahoo News reports.

To work with Google's Waze Rider, drivers are only required to submit certain details, including their home and work addresses as well as their general schedule. The App doesn't currently require driver's proof of insurance.

Charges

A trip in the Google Waze Rider costs the rider only $6.30 while the rival services cost about $30. Reports, however, indicate that there are still bugs in the app. The Waze Rider is not yet able to use the Waze App itself as a primary navigation method.

The App is currently in its Beta Version, but so far it seems to be doing a great job in comparison to other services. The Prices will definitely rise in the coming few months, but there's hope the prices will still be lesser than Uber. You can download the app here.