While Waze has primarily been known as a navigation app, back in 2016, the company added a carpooling service to its product lineup. It initially launched in the Bay Area of San Francisco before it expanded to other parts of the US and then making its way internationally to Brazil and Israel.
Unfortunately, for users who have been relying or taking advantage of the feature, it looks like you’ll have to seek a new alternative because Waze has confirmed that they will be shutting its carpooling service down. The company will be winding down the service starting in September. In a statement made to The Verge, Waze said:
“While Waze was predominantly a commuting app pre-COVID, today the proportion of errands and travel drives have surpassed commutes. This means we have an opportunity to find even more impactful ways to bring together a global community to share real-time insights and help each other outsmart traffic — this is what has always made Waze truly special.”
It is a bit of a pity that the service will no longer be available to users who have been making use of it, but for those who don’t, the app and its navigation features will remain unchanged. The company also added that they will continue to work with cities on “mobility challenges” in a bid to help reduce the amount of cars that are on the road.
Source: The Verge