Uber has announced plans to launch UberPOOL, a ride-sharing service allowing customers to ride together in "lookalike trips."
Along with promising to cut expenses for drivers, the initiative is also aimed at lowering rates for riders.
"And drivers spend more time earning money on longer trips -- without the down time between passengers," Uber said in a blog post, according to Fox Business.
"For every fully utilized uberPOOL car on the road, 8 cars could be taken off the road...and in a city with a record-breaking population and nearly 2 million cars today, uberPOOL can eventually take more than 1 million cars off the road."
Although the company has fared well financially in recent months, with stock prices on a continual rise, it has also been subject to criticism from competitors weary of regulations and practices.
Among these complaints are unfair wages, monopolization of the transportation industry and privacy invasion.
In regards to the latter complaint, Uber officials have defended their practices and policies.
"Access to permissions including Wi-Fi networks and camera are included so that users can experience full functionality of the Uber app," an Uber spokeswoman said in a statement, according to the New York Times.
"This is not unique to Uber, and downloading the Uber app is of course optional."
