Uber Unveils Car Sharing Service For London Commuters

Leading taxi app Uber is to offer Londoners a car-sharing service in an attempt to cut congestion and fares for passengers.

The new UberPOOL service will allow three passengers to travel in a car at the same time when it launches at 4pm on Friday.

Paris is the only other European city to have the service, while San Francisco residents have had it since September last year - and it now makes up over half of all Uber trips in the city.

Passengers will save 25% compared to the standard uberX fare, while each pick-up is restricted to a maximum of two people, with no more than three passengers in a car at any one time.

Uber’s UK general manager Jo Bertram claimed UberPOOL will reduce congestion on the capital’s roads.

Reduced fares: The scheme is set to mean cheaper journeys for London commuters (Rex)

She said: “UberPOOL makes it easy and affordable for people going in the same direction at the same time to share the trip.

"That means cheaper rides for passengers, less time between trips for drivers and fewer cars on the city’s streets over time.

"By getting more bums on previously empty seats, this new service will help cut congestion and pollution in London.”

The introduction of the scheme comes while Transport for London (TfL) is holding a consultation on a series of measures that would affect Uber.

The proposals - which TfL say could “improve and inform” the regulations that govern the capital’s private-hire trade - include enforcing an interval of at least five minutes between a booking and the start of a journey to allow drivers to plan an appropriate route.

UberPOOL will initially only be available for journeys starting in central London or Heathrow Airport.

Top pic: Rex