Uber’s carpooling service, called UberPool, is coming to New York after its successful launch in Paris and San Francisco a few months ago.

Most New Yorkers do not own vehicles because of the dense population and convenient public transportation. Actually, New York is the only state where over half of the population doesn’t own a vehicle.

UberPool is said to help those not owning a vehicle in the city. The service offers a way to share a ride with somebody else who ordered an UberX ride along the same route. Sharing the cab-like ride is said to trim costs anywhere from 20 to 50 percent. Uber also says that the service will cut downtown for drivers who are waiting to pick up riders.

The company wrote in a blog post that “On any given day, the vast majority of uberX trips in NYC have a ‘lookalike’ trip – a trip that starts near, ends near, and is happening around the same time as another trip.” These trips currently transport one or two people, which leaves several empty seats. UberPool can combine some of these trips, filling in the empty seats.

Uber’s carpooling service isn’t the only service matching strangers taking similar routes. In early August, when UberPool was introduced to San Francisco, Lyft and Sidecar launched identical services, called Lyft Line and Sidecar Shared Rides. California Public Utilities Commission called these programs illegal and has threatened to shut down Lyft and Sidecar’s carpooling service.

Uber recently hit the news when it was discovered that  an Uber job applicant received access to customer reports, including travel records of families of politicians, just after the interview was conducted. A CEO also commented on using $1 million to dig up dirt on journalists while another was caught tracking a particular journalist.

Uber’s carpooling service launches in all five New York City boroughs this Thursday, but is only limited to iOS users. Android users will gain access on Monday, December 8. Check out this video on how it works.

Do you think the company’s recent negative publicity will effect UberPool’s success in New York City?