Uber to bring its car pooling product UberPOOL to India very soon

US based taxi hailing app Uber would join the likes of BlaBlaCar, Ridingo, Tripda and Meru Cabs with the India launch of its new car pooling product, UberPOOL, in the coming weeks. Bengaluru will become the first city to experience it, said Uber in a statement.

In UberPOOL, users can share a ride and split the cost with another person who just happens to be requesting a ride along a similar route. When Uber finds a match, it notifies the user of a co-rider's details.

"We will launch a beta version for Bengaluru users in the coming weeks. They will join millions of commuters in San Francisco, New York City, Boston, Austin and Paris who have been using UberPool for months now," Bhavik Rathod, General Manager at Uber in Bangalore, told ET.

"Our vision for UberPOOL means helping solve some of the toughest problems cities are facing today, whether it's congestion, pollution, or lack of access to transportation," he added.

Uber claims that riders in India will be able to save up to 50% while adding only a few minutes of time per trip.

Nearly half of all Uber rides in San Francisco are pooled rides. Launched in India less than two years ago, Uber is active in 22 Indian cities, even as it faces trouble with authorities in cities such as Mumbai and Delhi for not possessing a license to operate cabs.

(Image credits: Indiatimes)