Starting Friday there will be an alternative to those rush-hour battles for empty cabs, with the city rolling out its cab-sharing program, where up to three riders can split a ride leaving from a designated pickup point.

Each passenger will pay three to four dollars for the trip, cutting the cost by as much as 50 percent.

The program will only be in effect from 6 a.m. through 10 a.m.

Pickup locations include: 57th Street and Eighth Avenue, 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue, and 72nd Street and Third Avenue. Riders will be allowed to get off on Park Avenue heading south through 42nd Street.

"I go to the east side all the time and sometimes it's hard to find a cab and it’s pretty expensive, so it would be terrific if I could share the cost,” said one rider.

"Commuters share a ride, you save money, and the cabbies get the dedicated business. It's just like running a small bus across town,” said another.

"I probably wouldn't go out of my way to get it, but if I was here and I needed a cab to get across town, I'd be happy to share,” said a third.

Other stand locations planned for Manhattan include Grand Central Terminal to 59th Street/6th Avenue; Penn Station to 59th Street/6th Avenue; and the Port Authority Bus Terminal to 59th Street/6th Avenue.

The effort is part of a series of overhauls planned by the Taxi and Limousine Commission.

Later this year, riders should be able to hail cabs already carrying passengers, which will have some kind of sign showing which neighborhood the cab is going to.