Uber announced on Wednesday, June 29^th that its ride-sharing service UberPool would be available to commuters here from Friday, July 1^st. Using UberPool, commuters will be able to share an Uber ride together, with drivers being notified if there are other riders along the way headed in a similar direction.

Riders will be able to save up to 25 percent off the fare of a conventional UberX ride, regardless of whether another rider gets picked up along the way. Fares are also displayed upfront on the app, compared with UberX rides, which display only an estimate. A trip from Tanglin to Changi Airport would cost $15 on UberPool, compared with an estimated fare of $20.05 or more on UberX.

Uber Singapore General Manager Warren Tseng said the service, which will appear as an option on the existing Uber app, was meant to address what it termed 'look-alike' trips, with multiple riders taking similar routes. "We see a lot of trips going in the same direction, around the same time of day," said Mr. Tseng, adding that he thought the option would appeal to more price-conscious Singaporeans.

Singapore is the third city in South-East Asia to get UberPool, after Jakarta late last month and Manila on June 15^th. Uber plans to launch the service, which is available in 39 cities worldwide, in at least 10 other cities in Asia.