If the high prices of traveling by taxi are a problem for you, there is now a Vancouver-based smartphone app that helps curtail the cost issue wherever you are.
Cab Share Canada launched its free smartphone app today with a goal of allowing users to connect and share taxis with a few simple taps.
With the GPS function, users simply search for other nearby users with potential matches for destination and time of departure. After the users commit to a ride, a private chat appears for the passengers to discuss payment method and place to meet.
Ten per cent of the start-up’s profits will go towards the World Wildlife Fund as part of their mission to make transportation more environmentally friendly through their brand of ride-share.
The app is founded by students at Simon Fraser University who raised their required funds through a Kickstarter campaign that exceeded the $2,500 goal. “After exceeding our Kickstarter crowd-funding goal at the end of August, we have been working tirelessly to bring our app to market,” Troy McCuaig, a second-year SFU business student, told Vancity Buzz.
He adds that their immediate goal now is to attain a large user base so people can quickly find suitable matches for their ride. Over the long-term, the service hopes to expand across Canada and establish support for other Canadian markets. The app already functions anywhere in Canada.
The service does not impede any laws and is unlikely to attract the ire of the local taxi industry. This comes as Uber is struggling to expand into Vancouver due to municipal and provincial actions that have prevented the service from operating in the city.
Currently, the Cab Share Canada app is only available on iOS – a version for Android smartphones will be available sometime over the next few months.
Visit Cab Share Canada’s website for more information and download the iOS App here.
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Feature Image: Taxi Vancouver via Shutterstock
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