Traveling by car is not cheap, especially when it comes to long distances. That is why these days are very popular solutions to significantly reduce transport costs. One of them is carpooling.
Carpooling is when several people drive together in the same direction. It is enough to find a few willing drivers, and the savings will be noticeable. It is worth adding that in the age of the Internet this is not a particularly difficult task, since there are even special services that make this task easier, for example, BlaBlaCar. How does it work and is it worth it?
What is BlaBlaCar?
It was founded in 2006 in France by Frederic Mazzella. Since then, it has greatly expanded its reach. It currently operates in 22 countries.
How to use BlaBlaCar?
Using BlaBlaCar is very simple and intuitive, and the available mobile app is even easier. So if you plan to regularly use this type of trip, you should give in to the temptation and install it on your phone.
Before using the service, you will need to create an account, whether you are looking for a ride or driving your own car and happen to have an empty seat. The whole process is relatively simple and fast. You can use a Facebook account or an email address and phone number.
How do I find and book a BlaBlaCar ride?
All you need to do is find a fellow traveler in the same direction:
- visit the website or app,
- enter where to go and where to arrive, select the date and the required number of seats,
- select the person you would like to share the trip with from the list
- book your trip (or contact the driver in advance if you have any questions),
- arrive at the appointed place at the appointed time.
How do I propose a ride with BlaBlaCar?
If you have available seats and would like to offer a ride, the whole process is slightly different.
In this case, you need:
- click on the “Suggest a trip” button,
- select the city of departure and destination, as well as the number of available seats,
- select the route you are going to take
- optionally indicate scheduled stops to attract more passengers
- fill in the departure time and return time,
- select the type of booking (automatic or manual),
- set the fare and ticket price,
- indicate if the return trip will also be included in the itinerary,
- wait for those who wish to travel together and pick them up from the specified location.
How to contact the driver?
The easiest and most popular way to contact the driver is through the internal messenger. It is built into the BlaBlaCar mobile app. However, if you prefer to send a text message or call, you can view the phone number on the driver’s profile. Sometimes it’s easier to clarify some details of the trip. Or even arrange to be picked up from a different location.
How much to pay for BlaBlaCar?
The BlaBlaCar service itself is free, but, of course, you will have to pay for the trips. Although the fee depends on the driver. It is immediately worth noting that the price cannot exceed the maximum set by the company, since the idea of the service is to share costs, and not to make a profit.
In addition, BlaBlaCar has to reckon with a service fee for booking a shared trip, the amount of which depends on the cost of the trip.
Ride sharing and taxes
Some drivers may have doubts about taxes and wonder if they need to account for the money they receive.
Be that as it may, a fee is charged for transportation, but, according to the rules, the purpose of the trip is not only the transportation of passengers. Therefore, a driver picking up someone on an occasion should not be paid more than the actual cost of the trip (fuel, any tolls, etc.). Thus, in this situation, there is no profit and, therefore, the obligation to pay tax.
Rating system
BlaBlaCar also has a rating system so that people arranging a ride together can leave reviews for each other. This option is available to both drivers and passengers. The most interesting thing is that for this it is not at all necessary to make a trip – just book a place.
Of course, such a system works both ways and makes it easier to assess whether a person is trustworthy. After all, no one wants to know at the last minute that the driver is still not coming. Especially when it comes to an important trip, and it is difficult to organize alternative transport in a short time.
Therefore, it is the passenger who risks more by arranging a meeting with an unreliable driver. A driver with his own car does not risk being left without transport – at most, the trip will cost a little more. However, this does not mean that the opinion of the people being transported is unimportant. After all, no one likes latecomers and last-minute cancelers, and there is no shortage of such people either. In addition, some people may have trouble adapting to the rules of the car.
A large number of positive reviews increases the driver’s chances of finding those who want to ride together, and the passenger’s chances of being taken.
It is also worth noting that the other person will not see the received rating until he puts it himself.
Similar services
BlaBlaCar is currently the largest travel companion site, but there is more than just BlaBlaCar. There are other sites and even completely different ways to find passengers and drivers to save on fuel.
What to watch out for?
Unfortunately, there is no shortage of scammers on the Internet, so you need to be very careful when using the BlaBlaCar service.
Especially if someone is contacting you through a non-messenger like whatsapp and sends suspicious links to make a booking or even pay. Such situations should not happen at all, so most likely this is a regular SCAM, the main purpose of which is to swindle your credit or debit card details. It is worth remembering this so as not to become a victim of scammers.
Conclusions
While the idea of ride sharing is not new, there are still very few people using it. Therefore, it is worth remembering this possibility both when looking for transport and when planning a trip with your own car. Because it’s a big money saver for both parties, and organizing everything is relatively easy thanks to services like BlaBlaCar. Of course, provided that you find people who want to go in the same direction and at the same time.
App official site https://www.blablacar.com
