Google is entering the carpooling business this week with the launch of a new app called RideWith.
The service will be rolling out via Waze, the GPS-powered, crowdsourced traffic-thwarting company acquired by Google more than two years ago. According to a report in Reuters, the pilot of the app will launch only in Tel Aviv, Israel, but of course, there will be scope for opening it to new markets depending on the outcome of the tests.
RideWith will use Waze’s navigation system to identify which routes cars take most often, and try to pair drivers with people looking to travel to the same destinations. Drivers will also be limited to two journeys each day, preventing them from turning it into their own business.
Google is seemingly smart for steering clear of a more traditional taxi-like service, to prevent the type of the legal battles perpetually faced by Uber.
