Uber is testing a commuter service between San Francisco and Silicon Valley

Are you going to San Francisco?

• By Andrew J . Hawkins
 
• on November 3, 2015 06:09 pm
 
• @andyjayhawk 

(Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Uber will offer flat-rate rides to San Francisco from the South Bay, in a sign the company is serious about the carpooling business. On weekdays, between the hours of 6AM and 10 AM, riders can commute to San Francisco for as little as $20 — if they're coming from Palo Alto. (Rides from Mountain View are $22; from San Jose, $26). Commuters interested in the special rate need to be in a designated pickup zone. Bringing along a friend only costs $10 extra.

Uber has said repeatedly that one of its missions is to make hailing a ride so seamless and convenient that personal car ownership becomes a thing of the past. UberPool, which was introduced in the US last year and in China last month, is part of the company's push to create a private alternative to public transit. UberPool just launched in New York City, the startup's largest market globally, with $10 flat rates being offered anywhere in Manhattan below 96th Street.

SOME DRIVERS DON'T LIKE UBERPOOL

Uber is focused on exclusively marketing its new carpooling service to riders, but drivers may present the biggest threat

UberPool is reportedly unpopular with some drivers, who worry about receiving poor ratings from riders annoyed at having to wait for other customers. Some drivers avoid picking up customers with bad ratings (drivers can rate riders too) who request the carpool service. But this behavior puts drivers in risk of deactivation, as drivers who skip too many rides can get cut off by Uber.

With its announcement of the commuter service to San Francisco, Uber is clearly trying to address some of these problems. It is attempting to make the experience of carpooling easier to digest for both riders and drivers by being more explicit about rates and destinations. And if the beta program is successful, Uber could expand the program to other large cities.