San Francisco-headquartered Uber Technologies Inc. plans an April 25 launch in San Diego of its UberPool ride-hailing service, allowing customers heading to the same destination to share rides at a discounted price.

The San Diego launch follows similar carpool-oriented services recently started locally and nationally by Uber’s chief competitor, San Francisco-based Lyft Inc.

In a statement, Uber officials said the company’s new service is geared toward reducing traffic congestion and pollution by filling more seats in vehicles. Pricing for UberPool rides is expected to be 25 percent lower than they would be for similar rides taken through the company’s existing UberX offering.

San Diego riders will be able to order an UberPool ride by first selecting the UberX option on the company’s mobile application. They can then enter the destination and the number of seats needed, and choose between sharing the ride or requesting the standard UberX.

Officials said riders in the Los Angeles market took more than 5 million UberPool trips in the first eight months that it was offered in that city, and UberPool now accounts for more than 25 percent of Uber trips in Los Angeles.

UberPool was started in 2014 and also launched previously in cities including San Francisco, Paris, New York City and Austin, Texas. Rival Lyft launched carpooling services earlier this year, and its Lyft Line began operating in San Diego on April 15.

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