ShareSpace Carpool in India: How Cost Sharing Works

ShareSpace Carpool is now opening in India. It is a carpool app for people who are already making a trip and want to share its cost: a driver offers the empty seats, and riders share what the trip really costs. It is not a taxi or ride-hailing service, and rides are for sharing costs, not for profit.

How prices work in India

Every ride has a price cap. The cap is a cost-sharing rate for the whole car (currently 7 rupees per kilometre), multiplied by the trip distance and divided by the seats the driver offers. For example, a 12 km trip is 84 rupees for the whole car. With three seats offered, a seat can cost at most 28 rupees. The app shows the limit while the driver sets the price, and it will not let a driver go above it.

You pay the driver directly

For now ShareSpace charges no service fee in India. The rider pays the driver the price shown in the app, in cash or by UPI, at the time of the trip. ShareSpace does not collect, hold or send that money. If anything goes wrong with a payment, settle it with the other person.

Verified drivers

To offer a ride in India a driver first uploads a government ID and driving details in the app, and our team reviews them. A verified badge appears on the profile. Riders do not need to be verified. Drivers can offer up to ten rides a week, because ShareSpace is for trips you already make, not for running a business.

What you are responsible for

• The law where you drive. In India, carrying passengers for hire or reward in a private car can need a permit, and rules differ by state. A trip that only shares its real cost, with no profit, is different. If you are not sure a trip is allowed, do not offer or take it.
• Insurance. Drivers need a valid licence and the insurance the law requires, and should check that their insurer is happy with passengers who share the cost. Riders should hold their own health or travel cover. ShareSpace provides no insurance and gives no protection or compensation for damage, injury or loss.
• Your own safety and behaviour. Follow the Carpool rules and the India addendum to the Terms.

Staying safe

Check the driver's rating, badge and vehicle before you book. Every trip has a start code: the rider tells the driver the code to start the ride, so you know you are in the right car. Chat inside the app so you do not need to share your number. In an emergency call 112.

Getting started

Download ShareSpace Carpool from the App Store or Google Play, sign in with your phone number, and either search for a ride or offer one. Questions are welcome at support@sharespacecarpool.com. This post is a general guide, not legal advice. Rules can change, so check what applies to you.

See also: Where ShareSpace works, what cost sharing is and how it differs from a taxi, and driver and rider responsibilities.