Waze is officially putting an end to its operations in September after initially launching its carpooling app in 2016. The company said that this is because the way people travel has changed compared to the pre-COVID era.
Google-Owned Waze has Decided to Officially End Its Carpool Service
According to the story by Android Police, Waze initially entered the scene by starting off as a carpooling app back in 2016. Its pilot was first launched in Israel which then started to roll out to the United States.
The Google-owned company is serving millions of drivers all across the world through the use of its traffic detection and navigation capabilities. Its carpool service has also started to go down in popularity.
COVID-19 Pandemic Aftermath has Changed the Way People Travel and Share Car Rides
To be fair, however, the drop in popularity was expected to be a part of the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic which changed the ways people travel and even share car rides. The announcement by the company reflects the shift as the Waze Carpool will officially be closing its operations in September.
In a statement to The Verge, the company announced that it would still be providing real-time insights to its users. These insights include accurate traffic-related information which has been one of the major use points for the application.
Waze Carpool will Officially Close in the US, Brazil, Mexico, and Israel
Waze Carpool's closure will reportedly affect users that are located in US, Brazil, Mexico, and Israel where the "company has its roots." The firm still highly points toward how COVID-19 changed transportation and commuting as their decision for this move.
A Waze spokesperson also told Tech Crunch separately that the company wants to focus on being able to decongest traffic in certain cities and solve other mobility problems. These mobility problems involve cost, sustainability, and even the safety of their staff and users.
Company Shared Data Showing 5-15% Increase in Miles on the Road Compared to Pre-Pandemic
The company also announced data regarding the changes in driving habits of their users after COVID happened. They noted that in the United States, there were able to see a 5 to 15% increase when it comes to miles on the road compared to their levels pre-pandemic.
The Waze Carpool was reportedly a novel idea when it initially launched around six years ago. As the pandemic started to change the workplace, however, there started to become fewer and fewer reasons for people to carpool unless they resided in the same place.
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Waze Shuts Carpool as Lift Opens Back Up Ride-Sharing Options for Customers
Due to the changes, the Google-owned company is now deciding to close its service since it would be useless for them to continue and improve the service if their customers themselves have changed as well.
This comes at a peculiar time since other ride-hailing apps like Lyft have started to bring back ride-sharing options to their customers.
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This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Urian B.
