UberPOOL - great for riders, not so much for drivers

With UberPOOL, riders with 1 or 2 passengers and a pre-determined destination can save money and eliminate ambiguity by paying a set fare, with the understanding that they may be matched with other riders along the way. Uber sells this to riders as a great way to save money, and sells it to drivers as a way to make more money by being more busy.

While it is certainly true that it can keep you active and on paying rides longer, a big problem with UberPOOL from a driver's perspective is those set fares. The actual fare calculation is opaque to both driver and rider - it's not at all clear what time and distance are being factored in. What this means is that if you hit traffic, or need to take a longer route due to traffic or construction, there's no adjustment. You're still getting paid based on the rider's pre-set fare.

Additionally, that "longer trips" logic doesn't quite work out, because when you're being diverted off the route the rider did pay for to go pick up another rider, you're not being paid for that - neither rider's fare includes it. Sure, it's possible you would have been off-fare entirely during that time and not being paid for that as well, but it's certain that you're taking longer to get the one (low) fare you are getting to their destination, and thus missing out on possible revenue.

Finally, the rate is just plain lower, whatever it is (see above about opaque fares) - Uber is again incentivized incorrectly - they make their flat reservation fee on every ride, plus their percentage, they're not paying a portion of vehicle upkeep, gas, etc, which is what the fare calculation is supposed to include.

Bottom line, I think UberPOOL is a pretty bum deal for drivers. If I could opt out of it, I might, though Uber is pushing it so hard with promotions like a PoolPass in Boston that I'd be a little bit afraid of missing out.