The software I chose to review was a feature on Lyft called Shared Saver. The app has different types of ride features:

economy- which is the basic 4 seat vehicle

extra seats- which is a 6 seat vehicle if you have more people with you

luxury- which is a 4 seat like the economy but in a luxury car

Now, each of these features have extensions within their categories.  One of the extensions in the economy ride feature is Lyft Shared, originally named Lyft Line. Lyft Shared is a feature where you order a car but, you share a ride with someone else. There newest update to this feature called, Lyft Shared Saver. You get an even cheaper price than Lyft Shared but you have to walk to either meet your driver or to your destination when you’re being dropped off. Meaning, if you order a ride using this feature, instead of the driver picking you up exactly where you are at, you may have to walk up no more than about a few blocks to meet your ride. Or, you have to walk no more than a few blocks to get to your destination once you are dropped off.

This feature helps people save more money, and is really good for people who are travelling from in and out the city because there is not too many places to park to pick someone up. So, to have the rider meet the driver somewhere a bit more convenient to pick someone up at is good. Also if there is like a festival or something like that where they have certain streets blocked off, the driver can drop the rider off at a more convenient location and the rider can take a short walk to the event. 

Uber, (Lyft’s biggest competitor) also has a similar feature on their app called Uber Express Pool. It’s cheaper than an Uber Pool and offers a small walking commute time. However, I’m not sure if Uber Express Pool is offered in as many cities as Lyft Shared Saver. 

Via Transportation, (a smaller and much newer ride share app that is rumored to be the inspiration behind Uber’s and Lyft’s new features), is a ride share that is set up where automatically you are not only sharing a ride with someone else but have a walking commute. Via also allows certain forms of payment that Lyft and Uber don’t, like WageWorks or Commuter Check. However, Via Transportation is only offered in New York, Chicago, and Washington D.C.

This feature is very easy to use and accessible like any other feature on the app. I used it this pass weekend going to the mall with my friend. It was just like the regular Lyft Shared, there was a co-rider in the car before us. The app though, did not make us commute at all going there. But coming back we did have to walk a few minutes back to the dorm. And it let us know that on the app on the way back with its “ding” notification.