Ridesharing app now in India to end travel hassle

NEW DELHI: ‘BlaBlaCar’ (city-to-city ridesharing app) is about to launch its service in India at the Indian Digital Summit2015, organized by the IAMAI (Internet and Mobile Association of India).

BlaBlaCar connects people with the car owners who are travelling to the same city, so that they can travel together and share the cost of their journey. The name indicates how chatty the members are (even when filling in their profile, members are asked to specify their level of chattiness on the scale ‘Bla’, ‘BlaBla’ and ‘BlaBlaBla’).

The people-powered, transport network already connects over two million people every month around the world for shared journeys. With its young, highly connected population, and multiple major urban hubs separated by long distances, India has great potential for ridesharing. Chronically overcrowded transport infrastructure forces travellers to book their train or bus ticket weeks in advance, while the high price of fuel makes long distance car travel often unaffordable. By connecting co-travellers, BlaBlaCar aims to transform city-to-city travel in India, making it both available and affordable. The launch will see a country-wide Twitter campaign around the hashtag #EndTravelHassle.

Co-Founder and COO, BlaBlaCar, Nicolas Brusson said, “BlaBlaCar harnesses the power of digital connections to deliver a simple, smart, sustainable solution to city-to-city travel.”

The Transport Department - Govt of NCT of Delhi has stated that, "Car driving is expensive and eats out a great share of your monthly budget. Carpooling saves money and reduces congestion."

BlaBlaCar is not an on demand or a professional driving service. It is a friendly sharing community, designed to connect regular people to share their long journeys. Price per co-traveller is limited to a partial contribution towards the cost of the journey, and does not allow the car owner to make a profit (the platform makes a distance-based price recommendation that is fair and transparent for both parties).

Members choose whom they travel with, thanks to members’ online public profiles, on the Facebook account. At the end of a shared journey, members rate each other, building their reputation in the community. A dedicated member relations team also moderates member activity and feedback, seven days a week.

Raghav Gupta, Country Manager, BlaBlaCar India said, “With the limited capacity of public transportation and last minute travel options in India, BlaBlaCar offers an affordable, friendly, and efficient alternative. BlaBlaCar creates a unique space for car owners and co-travellers to get to know each other and make an informed choice about whom they want to travel with. For India’s 100 million Facebook users and 160 million plus smartphone users, this is a travel revolution.”