Benzinga | Oct 18, 2021 10:04AM EDT

Uber Trials Pool Rides In Africa

* Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER) is testing Pool Chance, which lets riders heading in the same direction share the cost of the journey in Kenya, TechCrunch reports.

* Uber aims to launch the low-cost service in Ghana and Nigeria, bringing ride costs down by up to 30%, implying more riders, more trips, less downtime, and more overall earnings.

* Uber launched UberPool in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2014 and later expanded in multiple cities worldwide. Uber suspended the low-cost popular service in many regions due to Covid-19 restrictions.

* Uber said Pool Chance refers to the chance of getting a discounted ride if the driver picks up other riders; otherwise, paying the regular fees for an individual ride. In contrast, UberPool negotiates a specific carpool rate for the rider regardless of who gets into the vehicle.

* The Pool Chance trip option is available on the budget service Chap Chap in Nairobi; in the Nigerian city of Lagos and Ghana's capital Accra, it will be accessible on the UberX category.

* Price Action: UBER shares traded lower by 1.84% at $47.48 in the market session on the last check Monday.