what is a ride share

Ridesharing is a service that arranges one-way transportation on short notice. It is a way for multiple riders to get to where theyre going by sharing a single vehicle, like a car or van, thats going in their direction. Ridesharing companies, such as Uber and Lyft, match passengers with drivers of vehicles for hire that, unlike taxis, cannot legally be hailed from the street. The biggest difference between Uber and Lyft is their availability, with Uber being found in more than 250 cities in 45 countries, while Lyft is in more than 60 cities in the United States and Southeast Asia. Ridesharing can reduce travel costs, traffic, and parking demand, and some local and regional governments provide incentives to encourage ridesharing, such as access to high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, discounted fees on roads or lanes, special parking privileges for vehicles with multiple passengers, or tax breaks for companies with a high level of pooling among employees. Ridesharing is similar to carpooling, but it is a more on-demand transportation option and doesn’t need the type of prearranged agreement carpoolers have with each other. Unlike most forms of carpooling, people also pay a fee to rideshare, although it tends to be affordable.