One of the most annoying things about on-demand ridesharing services like Uber, is picking the best spot to drop a pin. It's not always enough to simply use your phone's GPS location as the pickup location. Considering one-way streets, the direction the car should be facing for the destination, and safety are all important considerations when choosing where to request a pickup.
And sometimes the driver will still make a wrong turn or end up in a challenging spot for pickup, leading to honking horns, traffic disruption and sometimes pure chaos if there are multiple pickups in one area (after a show or ballgame, for example). Thankfully, Uber has decided to listen to TechCrunch's Josh Constine and begin testing a feature called Suggested Pickup Points.
The feature is only available for certain users, as reported in TechCrunch, and will pop up with a green banner and green dots to identify better places to get picked up. This means that the system will be able to more efficiently deliver rides to drivers, who make more money, and increase satisfaction with riders, who no longer have to consider where to get picked up or jump through traffic to get to a waiting Uber. Rides also could theoretically cost less, as drivers are not traveling circuitously after picking up a passenger in an awkward spot.
Lyft offers a similar feature, although it is limited to its LyftLine on-demand carpool service. Certain pickup points are designated HotSpots, and users receive a modest discount for congregating at this designated drops. This means that cars spend less time moving to pick up individuals. Increased efficiency thus saves drivers time so they can make more money while also allowing users a faster and cheaper experience.
