Google's Ride-Sharing Platform Is Now Live in San Francisco Waze Rider is a low-cost alternative to the casual carpool.

By Andrew Dalton

This story originally appeared on Engadget

AP Photo | Paul Sakuma

Waze Rider, the ride-sharing version of the popular Google-owned navigation app, is now open to the general public in the Bay Area. After several months in private beta, the Wall Street Journal reports that Google is ready to open up its casual carpool competitor to Uber and Lyft.

There are some appreciable differences between Waze Rider and its more established rivals, however. For starters, Google only allows drivers and riders to take two trips per day. Drivers only make $0.54 per mile, so they're only getting reimbursed for the mileage rather than turning a profit. While both of those features keep the service limited to commuters for now, they also skirt the regulations that Lyft and Uber are now subject to.

According to the Journal, drivers only need to submit their general schedule and their home and work addresses to sign up. Google says it has no current plans to require background checks, proof of insurance or car photos because the platform is only meant to fill empty seats with riders heading the same way.

A Journal reporter who took a test ride from San Francisco to Oakland noted the app still had some bugs -- namely that the driver couldn't use Waze's actual navigation service during the trip, but it was otherwise uneventful. That trip also paid out $6.30 to the driver and only cost the rider $3, which is a bargain compared to the estimated $23 to 30 cost for a rush hour Lyft or Uber.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

'I Was Called Crazy': This 27-Year-Old's Side Hustle Hit $30,000 a Month in Under a Year — Now It's Worth Millions

Changing regulations forced Angel Rodriguez's jet ski rental company to shut down, and the young entrepreneur had to figure out his next move — fast.

Science & Technology

Want to Make Money With AI? Here Are Easy Steps to Unlock Explosive Profits in 2025

Learn to turn Google AI Studio into a profit-boosting machine with this three-step framework. Train AI to analyze data, uncover sales opportunities and maximize profits.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Side Hustle

This 31-Year-Old Spends 2 Hours Per Week On His $3,000-a-Month Passive Income Side Hustle: 'Trust Your Vision'

Hansel Moore's home office "wasn't cutting it" — so he found another place to be creative.

Business News

'How Vulnerable Senior Investors Are': Morgan Stanley Was Ordered to Pay $843,000 to an Elderly Widow Who Was Scammed Out of Millions (and Not By Them)

The scheme involved multiple criminals who pretended to be technical support staffers, employees at the bank, and even government workers.