'Uber Pool' Returns To NYC With New Name After Pandemic Pause

NEW YORK CITY — Good news for cash-strapped New Yorkers who miss the pre-pandemic days of sharing a ride with a total stranger for a cheaper fare: Uber Pool is back (sort of).

UberX Share launched in New York City and eight other cities Tuesday, the rideshare company's representative announced.

The service is effectively a revamp of Uber Pool, which was paused in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic spread across the country.

"Our pooling product has long been a rider favorite, from the spontaneous singalongs to meeting new friends and other fun chance encounters," an Uber release states. "We believe UberX Share, and the improvements we’ve made for drivers and riders, will make it better than ever."

The "improvements" teased in the release include an upfront discount if riders choose UberX Share, and up to 20 percent off the fare if they're matched with a co-rider.

Riders will only pair riders heading the same direction, which means riders will arrive no more than eight minutes later than a standard UberX ride, a release states.

And riders won't be crammed like the "Uber Pool" days — the company will allow no more than one extra rider in the UberX Share, The Points Guy first reported.

Prices for ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Lyft started to rise sharply as the pandemic dragged on, as detailed in a recent New York Post report.