Google has officially launched a ride sharing app called Waze Rider, which will be a direct competitor to Uber. So far the app is only available in San Francisco. The concept is slightly different in that it aims to connect riders and drivers who are already headed in the same direction.
The benefit of matching people up to carpool means lower fares for passengers, but it also means lower pay for the drivers. The riders pay no more than 54 cents per mile, so for the drivers it’s more like making some cash off carpooling as opposed to being a full time job. As of right now riders and drivers are limited to two rides a day.
The app of course works directly with the navigation app Waze, which Google bought in 2013 for $1.3 billion. Since it is meant to simply connect people going in the same direction, the drivers do not have to pass background checks or go through any of the other regulations that Uber do to be approved to drive.
Google’s parent company Alphabet is also currently working on a service called Chauffeur, as well as working on delivery and logistics services just like Uber is.
