Houston is the first city without Uber’s carpool option where the company is experimenting with fixed-price fares during the day, company officials said in an attempt to curtail congestion.

Starting Monday for a limited time, the ride-hauling company said all rides between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. within central Houston, Galleria and Memorial areas will be $7.13 or less, regardless of the normal cost, Monday through Friday.

“Today, we are engaging commuters with low-cost fares,” spokeswoman Debbee Hancock said in a statement. “Tomorrow, we hope to be able to help tackle Houston’s congestion by moving these commuters in fewer cars like we do … with UberPOOL.”

The flat fare would apply to trips beginning and ending inside Loop 610 or between the loop and Sam Houston Tollway, from Interstate 10 south to Westpark Tollway. Uber said drivers would receive the same payment they would under normal conditions, with the company covering the difference.

For riders, trips that would normally be less than $7.13 will be billed at the lower rate.

Houston does not have UberPOOL, which company officials cite as the result of some of the city’s rules for ride-providing companies. Uber and Houston have sparred since November 2014 over the city’s requirement that all drivers undergo a fingerprint background check.

Houston officials are debating changes to the city’s paid ride policies, but removal of the fingerprint background check is not under consideration, officials have said. The city is proceeding with a smartphone app that would compile all of the city’s taxis under a single system to encourage cab drivers to focus less on airport and downtown cab stands.

The changes for cabs and Uber come as both adjust to changing commuter conditions and demands in Houston and other U.S. cities.

A recent report by New York-based TransitCenter, which lobbies for public transit investment, found the emergence of various options such as improved carpools and companies like Uber – in addition to bike sharing such as B-Cycle – can provide people with many more options than driving, which over time, could reduce congestion and improve air quality.