Carpooling Spare Rides app launches in Vancouver

Don't want tofor the 99-B line to get to class? There's an app for that. A group of UBC graduates haslaunched Spare Rides, an appthat is "taking carpooling into the 21st century."

Drivers and potential passengers enter their destination into the app and the program matches them up so drivers can pick passengers up along the way. The app, like Uber, displays real-time passenger and driver location.

But that's where the similarities end, says the CEO of Spare Rides, Kristoffer Vik Hansen.

"While Uber is a taxi service, we're more in the carpooling industry. We're about sharing your commute, not sharing a taxi," he said.

"It's one of the best ways to actually take cars off the road and that's the gap we're hoping to fill."

How much does it cost?

A trip from the Commercial-BroadwaySkyTrain station to UBC would cost a passenger about $7, more than twice as much as bus fare. But Vik Hansen says the benefit for passengers lies in the human interaction.

"You make your morning less boring which is probably the main reason you want to use this service."

Meanwhile, driversearn $1 per trip plus 35 cents per kilometre for every passenger they pick up.

B.C.'s Passenger Transportation Regulations state carpool drivers do not need to purchase commercial insurance or a licenceas long as they donot charge passengers more than the cost of the trip. Drivers are also not allowed tooffer more than one return trip per day.

"Anyone charging more or if drivers wish to offer more than one return trip per day, they would be required to apply for a passenger transportation licence," said Transportation Minister Todd Stone in an emailed statement to CBC.

Where to use it

Spare Rides currently services the Broadway corridor.

It appears there is both ample supply and demand for an alternative commute to UBC.

The 99 B-line bus is at 150 per centcapacity from 6:00 am to 9:00 p.m. and there are over 40,000 single occupancy trips to UBC every day, according to Vik Hansen.

• Just how busy is the 99 B-Line?

For those who are hesitant about making the switch from bus to carpooling because of security concerns, Vik Hansen says the team is taking precautions.

Drivers must sign up for the app using their Facebook accounts, which means there is a built-in verification system, he said.

Users' names, profile pictures, emails, and phone numbers will be stored in the Spare Rides system.

"We're taking it way further than most carpooling services we've seen," said Vik Hansen.

To listen to the full interview, click the link labelled:Commute-sharing app launched by UBC grads.