SINGAPORE, June 22 — Uber has begun recruiting drivers for UberPool — the biggest indication to date that the carpool service will be arriving soon in Singapore.

In a SMS sent out to Uber drivers today, and seen by TODAY, the ride-hailing app invited drivers to sign up for an online training session about UberPool by this weekend.

The company also said that the first 100 drivers to finish the training will receive “special incentives”, while promising “less waiting time, more trips and more earnings” for drivers.

UberPool was first launched in the US in 2014.

Currently, UberPool is available in 34 cities worldwide, including 14 cities in China, according to Uber’s website. In Asia, India — in Bangalore and New Delhi — is the only other country besides China which has the service.

Just like Grab’s carpool service, GrabHitch, UberPool allows drivers to pick up passengers who happen to be going to a similar route. Passengers can also share and and split the cost of the ride with another person going the same route.

GrabHitch was introduced in Singapore on November 11 last year.

On June 13, Grab had announced its first cross-border ride-sharing service between Singapore and Johor, touting rides that cost S$9 (RM27) to S$14 between Singapore and the Malaysian state, but later changed it to a free pilot programme, after the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said that running a paid cross-border carpooling service is against regulations.

TODAY has reached out to Uber for comment on the new service. — TODAY