Google’s Waze carpool service expands across San Francisco
Google's Waze Rider carpooling service has finished its pilot programme and is now widely available in the San Francisco area. Waze Rider differs from Uber and Lyft in that it is designed to pair two travellers going in the same direction. Drivers are only reimbursed for mileage during carpool rides and riders are charged a maximum rate of 54 cents, with both drivers and riders limited to two rides each day. Uber and Lyft have similar offerings with their Line and Pool services, but Waze Rider is being pitched as a lower cost option.
Google's Waze Rider service, which lets people carpool to and from work with drivers using the Waze app, has come out of its pilot program and is now widely available in the San Francisco area. It's been rolling out to users over the last several weeks, the company confirmed to The Wall Street Journal today. Waze Rider is different from ride hailing services like Uber and Lyft in that it's meant to pair two people headed in the same direction. Drivers are only reimbursed for the mileage driven during their carpooled rides; they're not really making much profit — if any at all. Riders are charged a maximum rate of 54 cents per mile. Both drivers and riders are limited to two rides each day, which again underlines the intended purpose of this app.

By taking this approach, Google doesn't need to undergo the same scrutiny as Uber and Lyft. Drivers aren't required to pass any sort of background check or even provide a photo ID, according to the Journal. Again, these are just regular people using the Waze navigation app who've offered to give people a ride during their commute. All it takes to become a driver is providing Waze with your general schedule, plus your home and work addresses.