UberPool Carpooling Service Launched in India

The firm said apart from Bengluru, it is looking to launch the UberPool service in select other cities in India. The UberPool service has so far been rolled out to San Francisco, New York City, Boston, Austin, and Paris.

With UberPool, commuters can share a ride - and split the cost - with another person who happens to be requesting a ride along a similar route. Riders can save up to 50 percent of their trip cost, "while adding only a few minutes of time per trip."

(Also see:  Meru Launches App-Based 'CarPool' Service)

The company says with UberPool, users can "move past car ownership, as taking Uber becomes less expensive than using and maintaining a personal vehicle."

Bhavik Rathod, GM Bangalore, Uber said, "India is a top global priority for Uber along with China and UberPool. Today, we're thrilled to announce that we'll be bringing Uber's groundbreaking product UberPool to India very soon. 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. We are working tirelessly towards that vision as we aim to transform urban mobility for over 1.2 billion Indians. With UberPool we'll aim to achieve this vision, one we share with policy makers, to make Bangalore a city of the future - one that looks a whole lot greener, cleaner, and more efficient thanks to fewer cars and more shared rides. We know UberPool has the ability to help us achieve this and Bengaluru, our first city in India, will serve as the ideal proving ground to make this happen."