For those who are unfamiliar, Waze is a navigational service that was bought over by Google and exists as a standalone app as opposed to being integrated with Google Maps, something which we’re sure many thought Google would do. That being said, the company will be expanding its offerings as it has recently announced RideWith, a carpooling service.This service is expected to begin its pilot program in Gush Dan, Israel. The idea is like the title says, it is a carpool service that will allow commuters to carpool with other Waze users. All they would have to do is download the RideWith app and Waze users will be able to come pick you up if it’s on their way, like if you were headed to the same school, same office building, or the same area in general.
Of course this isn’t free and to some extent it does sound a bit like Uber. “Riders pitch-in on the cost of gas and wear and tear on a vehicle by reimbursing the driver via the app when the ride is complete. RideWith will calculate the cost of gas and depreciation based on route mileage and suggest an amount. The driver can then accept or decline the ride and rate.”
Like we said earlier, RideWith is currently only available in Gush Dan, Israel at the moment and will only be available on Android devices. Presumably if this service picks up, Waze could be looking to launch it in other countries as well, but in the meantime what do you guys make of Waze’s new service?