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Let’s Join-a-Ride!

Join-a-Ride Mobile App Screen

Vincent Chow 周嘉俊BEng(CE) 2004

There are typically long queues for taxis during peak hours. However, many of the passengers will be travelling alone despite a taxi’s four-seat or five-seat capacity, and some might actually be going to similar locations.

 

Vincent and his childhood friends Calvin Kong, Ken Chan and Kenneth Kwok who are also HKU graduates, believe car pooling may help travellers save time and money, while reducing pollution. They also think mobile technology may help to reduce this idle capacity through connecting people. After spending several months on market research, programme design and promotion strategy, which they began in June 2015, they were finally able to start developing the “Join-a-Ride” mobile app in December 2015, launching it in early April 2016.

 

“ ‘Join-a-Ride’ can find you “riders” who can share the taxi fare, which is much better than getting stuck in the queue. It saves your precious time and money,” says Vincent.

 

To ensure people’s identities are secure, the team emphasized that each and every mobile number would be verified via an SMS, and all numbers are kept strictly confidential. “Even in the same chat-box among ‘riders’,  mobile numbers are kept confidential. In order to provide a care-free service to female users, there is also a ‘Female-only’ option,” explained Vincent.

 

By creating “Join-a-Ride”, the team hopes that a helping and sharing culture can be promoted. “Car pooling can also reduce traffic jams and improve air quality. Every little change saves our Earth. Let’s save time and money, at the same time travel greener!”

 

The Android version of “Join-a-Ride” is available for download now and iPhone version is expected to be released in May.

 

Join-a-Ride Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Join-A-Ride-221422981554188/?ref=nf

 

Click here for the interview by Ming Pao: 泥鯭精神﹕ 共享一程車 省油省時省錢

Car pooling can reduce traffic jams and improve air quality. ‘Join-a-Ride’ can find you ‘riders’ who can share the taxi fare, which is much better than getting stuck in the queue… Let’s save time and money, at the same time travel greener!

  • Join-a-Ride Mobile App Screen Cap
  • Join-a-Ride Mobile App Screen Cap
  • Join-a-Ride Mobile App Screen Cap
  • Join-a-Ride Mobile App Screen Cap