App offers convenient, cost-effective commuting

As the number of people on New Zealand’s roads increases, more and more people are looking for alternative means of transport. RIDES is a new ride-sharing app that looks to change the face of commuting by matching drivers with people needing rides to the same area. 

RIDES is suited to both urban areas and longer distances, and promotes conscious, low cost, convenient transportation. RIDES can be used on a one-off basis and is simple and easy to use, making it easy for people to help one another and reduce the environmental impact of their transport, without inconveniencing themselves. 

“New Zealand’s roads are becoming more congested, and public transport systems don’t always meet commuters’ needs,” says Fernanda Borba Nunes, RIDES Director. “Many people want to do things that help others and benefit the environment, but it’s often not easy to do that. RIDES offers a simple, effective way for people to connect and share the costs of commuting.” 

Based on the premise that many people would drive to an area, regardless of the number of people in the car, RIDES benefits both drivers and riders, sharing costs of petrol and parking, and offering instant, direct transport without having to wait for and navigate public transport. While the system is designed for one-off ride sharing, it allows people the option of establishing ongoing, mutually beneficial arrangements such as the possibility of colleagues sharing the costs of commuting to and parking at a workplace. 

RIDES makes a real-time connection between the person offering the ride and the person taking the ride. Once a user is registered and has credit in their account, they are able to request a ride by entering their required itinerary in the app, and drivers can offer a ride by entering the route they will take. 

The system matches the location of the driver to the location of the rider, as well as the final destination. A connection is made between them to enable the ride, and once it is accepted, the system will disclose the details to the users, so they will be able to identify each other and complete the ride. A small fee is charged each time a ride is accepted, and contributions toward petrol and parking are determined between users. 

The app is free to download nationwide, and is available for Android users now (with an iOS version available shortly). For more information and to download RIDES, visit rides.co.nz