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People frequently travel large distances to and from Geraldton alone in a car, or by bus. Often people are traveling to roughly the same place, at the same time and would probably prefer to share the ride. Sharing rides has many benefits, so we have evaluated numerous web-base services for connecting drivers with potential passengers. This short slideshow evaluates three of the web-based platforms to help us choose which one is most likely to attract critical mass.
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Ride-sharingfor
Geraldton
http://wildpollinators.org/2010/10/17/ride-sharing-in-geraldton/
Similar to Hitch-hiking, except you organise in advance and get to pick and choose who you ride with. i.e. Much better than hitching!!
Similar to Car-pooling, except its for more journeys than just your regular commute.
Enabled by online social networking tools to build trust between people who haven't 'met'
Is immensely popular and successful in the US, UK, France, soon to be adopted by State of Queensland for all staff etc.
What is Ride-sharing?
Why wouldn't you? Some good reasons: 50% increase in Geraldton fuel prices since 2001
– Perth-Geraldton trip bus or car = $50++ 91% people want action on climate change, now
– Perth-Geraldton trip (car) = 100kg/CO2++ Way to meet different people in your community Long drives are safer with more than one person Bus goes once a day, and takes most of the day Better than hitching
Why would you Ride-share?
Three Options
We searched for and trialed a range of different tools and technologies for enabling ride-sharing. These are the best 3 we
could find:
Liftshare: http://www.liftshare.com/au/
ZimRide: https://www.zimride.com
PickUpPal: http://www.pickuppal.com/pup/intro.html
PickUpPal is our favourite, and for it to work we need to check which you would use?
VOTE HERE: http://www.doodle.com/ck37n5dg4t6r7q93
Common features of all three
Web-based
UK or US origin
Create a profile with photo, contact details
Email notifications of matches
GoogleMaps to plot and show journey
Cost and carbon calculation/tracking
PickUpPal
Features, + Pluses, - Minuses
A global site with strong WA community already
+ Optional Facebook integration, iPhone app etc AND Facebook etc. to invite new members
+ Very detailed and flexible options re: matching, profile privacy, message frequency etc
+ Automatic matching and notification
+ Easy, free groups for organisation or location
- GoogleMaps seems to be 'as the crow flies'
http://www.pickuppal.com/pup/howitworks.html
ZimRide
Features, + Pluses, - Minuses
US-based site that seems popular with colleges
+ Facebook integration, which helps you connect with more people and bring more people into site
+ Simple, clean interface
- Expensive to create group for company/location
- US-centric ('home' map, $USD)
- Not a 'community' unless you create group
- Facebook seems almost compulsory as the main platform
http://www.zimride.com
LiftShare
Features, + Pluses, - MinusesA 'social enterprise' with some local, friendly support based on UK technology
+ free, 400,000 members worldwide
- no integration into social networking sites
- can't see multiple journey details on one screen
- users can set up own group, but costs to set up a more official 'group'
- nominating cost or willing to pay is not easy
- interface clunky
- zero users in WA so far
What Next?
Next Steps
Collate results of poll http://www.doodle.com/ck37n5dg4t6r7q93
Recruit YOU as a champion
Share links with friends, colleagues, networks
Publicise in the media, promote through other networks
Share good stories, track $/CO2 saved, grow the community
Establish 'standard' pick-up and drop-off locations e.g. Civic Centre
LATER...
Engage business, gov. to access their vehicles
Encourage more use for local trips
And later, extend into systems that avoid need to pre-plan, like http://www.flexiblecarpooling.org/
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