- Uber has launched Route Share, a shuttle service that travels fixed routes during weekday commute hours, picks up riders every 20 minutes, and allows up to three passengers per vehicle at roughly half the cost of an UberX. Industry observers and social media users quickly noted its close resemblance to traditional bus services.
Uber has announced a new “Route Share”feature that takes multiple riders on a predetermined route at a set time each day. If that sounds a little familiar, you’re not alone.
Online commentators and news outlets have pointed out that Uber’s new offering bears striking similarities to traditional public transport—particularly buses.
“Uber announced a new type of ride that travels along a set route, comes every 20 minutes, includes up to two other passengers, and costs up to 50 percent less than an UberX ride. In other words, a bus,” Andy O’Donoghue, a former healthtech CEO and journalist, said in a post on X.
Tech founder Marc Seitz also shared a video of the announcement, joking: “Uber just invented … … the bus”
“I’d love to see a private company build a sustainable business around bus transit for commutes and getting around a city. Saying Uber “invented” the bus is as stupid as saying FedEx and UPS invented the post office,” another X user added.
Uber’s ‘route share’ offers cheaper fares
Uber says its new service will offer shuttles along high-traffic routes with pickups scheduled every 20 minutes. The service is available during weekday commute hours and allows riders to share the trip with up to two other passengers. According to Uber’s announcement on Wednesday at its GoGet event, Route Share costs about half the price of a standard UberX ride.
The company said the service was designed for “everyday commuters.”
“It’s the perfect way to get to and from work without breaking the bank,” Uber said in a press release. “We’ll also explore partnering with employers to help make Route Share eligible for commuter benefits, so your daily ride could get even easier.”
“There are certain people, many people, who are worried about their jobs and how far their dollar can go, and the size of their budgets,” CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said during the event. “The goal for us as we build our products is to put people at the center of everything, and right now for us it means making things a little easier, a little more predictable, and, above all, just a little more—or a lot more—affordable.”
One example shared by Uber details a trip from Manhattan’s Upper West Side to the Lower East Side. Instead of an UberX for that route costing around $38, the new Route Share option would be approximately $19. In comparison, a standard MTA bus ride costs just under $3.
Jokes aside, some online commentators have pointed out that the announcement comes at a time when local transport routes are shutting down and public transport is becoming less reliable.
Tech blogger Jane Manchun Wong also commented on Uber’s announcement, highlighting a shuttle service that was recently shut down in Boston.
“Maybe ask your local transit agencies why they aren’t offering / approving these fixed-route services in the first place? Uber Shuttle wouldn’t have existed if transit already met the riders’ needs,” she said.
Representatives for Uber did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fortune.