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We've been doing this in Vancouver, Canada for 5 weeks now (http://sparerides.com http://sparerides.com). It is great to see another player doing true rideshar
by joshandrews 11y ago
We've been doing this in Vancouver, Canada for 5 weeks now (http://sparerides.com http://sparerides.com). It is great to see another player doing true ridesharing. Lyft actually started with a business model similar to this (http://zimride.com http://zimride.com) but saw much greater growth with the taxi model so rebranded and pushed that instead.
While HOV lanes are a large incentive for drivers, we have seen that many of our drivers here in Vancouver are looking to either cover the cost of parking and driving, or meet new people. These solutions generally work best in dense metro areas with relatively good public transit (I.E you have to be able to get home, if you can't find a carpool home).
Also interesting, Uber is not allowed to operate under the existing Vancouver taxi regulation. Because carpooling does not provide an income to the driver, the car is not considered a vehicle-for-hire, making systems like Lyft carpool and Spare Rides legal in Vancouver and I'm guessing many other cities that have pushed Uber out. This is a really good way for Lyft to grab those markets before the regulation changes.
- Cyph0n 11y agoWhat do you mean by "carpooling does not provide an income to the driver"? I honestly wouldn't pick up people without compensation, especially for longer distances. So you just charge riders and the driver gets nothing? I'm curious because I'm planning on starting a similar venture in my home country.
- joshandrews 11y agoSorry, the correct word to use there would be profit. The driver does get paid, just not enough to exceed the operating cost of the vehicle and parking, which in Vancouver is roughly $0.58 per km.
- Cyph0n 11y agoThat makes sense. Thanks for the clarification.
- smacktoward 11y ago"Compensation" doesn't have to be monetary. Here in DC, for instance, the compensation you get for driving a carpool is being allowed to drive in the high-occupancy-vehicle (HOV) lanes, which are restricted to vehicles carrying 2+ or 3+ occupants, depending on the road. These lanes are less congested than the main part of the highway, so your payment for sharing your ride is access to a faster, less stressful commute than you would have if you drove by yourself.
- api_or_ipa 11y agoNice to see companies from the Vancouver tech sphere bubble up on HN.