Uber has launched its Route Share service, a new initiative reminiscent of traditional bus systems, aimed at providing affordable transportation during peak hours across seven cities. Despite marketing the program as innovative, critics argue it reflects historical models of public transport. Uber's executives acknowledge the bus-inspired nature of Route Share, aiming to create benefits for consumers and help reduce urban congestion and pollution. However, experts raise concerns about its potential to truly improve commuting experiences or address environmental issues significantly.
"Many of our users, they live in generally the same area, they work in generally the same area, and they commute at the same time," Sachin Kansal, Uber's chief product officer, said during the company's May 14 announcement.
The goal, he said, "is just to reduce prices to the consumer and then help with congestion and the environment." - CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.
Kevin Shen, who studies this sort of thing at the Union of Concerned Scientists, questions whether Uber's "next-gen bus" will do much for commuters or the climate.
"Everybody will say, 'Silicon Valley's reinventing the bus again,'" Shen said. "But it's more like they're reinventing the bus for the tech world."
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