Uber Technologies Inc. says it is bringing its shared rides offering back to Canada with a new name.

The ride-hailing giant says Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver will get access to UberX Share later this week.

UberX Share charges passengers up to 20 per cent less in exchange for sharing a ride with strangers headed to nearby destinations.

UberX Share was previously known as UberPool and was paused in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic pushed people to physically distance.

Since the pause, Uber spent months listening to drivers and riders who helped it redesign, test and troubleshooting through various UberX Share pilots.

The company settled on a model that sees an average of only six more minutes added to trips where UberX Share is used and drivers paid an extra $1 pickup incentive for fetching a second rider.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 6, 2023.