Google is set to launch a major global car-sharing scheme in Israel, using the Waze navigation company for mapping and traffic information.
The RideWith app will allow drivers in a local area to be linked up in order to travel together.
It will initially launch on Android phones in Tel Aviv, Ra’anana and Herzliya, with Google intending to then spread the scheme across Israel and eventually worldwide.
Maps and traffic updates will be provided by Waze, which was bought by the American firm for £835 million in 2013.
The app will allow drivers to enter their home and work addresses, before the software finds fellow travellers in their area using a similar route.
Once users have entered their home and work addresses, the software will find people in their area driving a similar route and connect them. They will then be put in touch and able to make arrangements to travel in one car.
The passenger will pay a nominal, limited fee for their lift. Google will propose a recommended price based on the distance of the shared ride – it is currently thought the cost of a lift from Tel Aviv to Herzliya will be around £2. Google will collect around 15 per cent of that, and is expected to reinvest the money in Waze.
The app will also limit users to two trips per day, meaning that it will not be possible to gain an income through RideWith. There had been concerns that drivers could use the system to run taxi-style businesses.
It is believed around 200,000 Israelis use carpools to travel to work, with most based in the Gush Dan area.
To get more news, click here to sign up for our free daily newsletter.