Sidecar is testing a new "shareable rides" feature allowing passengers to save up to 50 percent in fares.
Sidecar, the popular ridesharing service, will add 'sideshare', a new feature allowing passengers to share a ride and split the cost. The feature is currently in its test phase in San Francisco, which offers discounts of up to 50 percent on sharing rides with another passenger.
Sidecar already has a unique payment mode, where passengers can choose rides based on the quality of the car, driver, ETA and price. In a promotional email sent to customers in San Francisco, Sidecar explained how the new feature works. Sidecar is currently available in Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Diego, Seattle, Chicago, Boston, and Washington, D.C.
"To share your ride, open the Sidecar app and select a car with the "Shareable Rides" icon and we'll match you with other riders nearby going your way. If matched, the app will split the price with other riders and you will save up to 50%!" according to a copy grabbed by TechCrunch.
Sidecar already offers cheaper rides compared to other services and the new feature is yet another reason for passengers to choose the company. Bigger competitors like Uber and Lyft offer similar ride-sharing services, but on a different concept of fares. Sidecar will face a stiffer challenge from a similar service called Hitch, which was launched a month ago. Hitch also offers cheap rides by letting passengers share with others.
To get started with Sidecar, users can download the app from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
