Google takes on Uber (again) with rideshare plans

A rideshare showdown could be on the cards as Google plans to harness its Waze navigation app to offer a carpooling service. Google purchased the Waze app back in 2013 for US$1.15bn. Now, using a variation on that called Waze Commute, commuters can connect with drivers heading in the same direction. A pilot has been running near its headquarters in California, available by invite-only to a select group of employers and their commuters. However, it is reportedly set to launch to the wider public this autumn in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the likes of Lyft and Uber already operate on-demand ridehailing services.