The Hindu Business Line : Shareadrive to cover more cities

Chennai, June 21 Shareadrive, a concept to connect vehicle owners and those who seek convenient commuting options, will be extended to major cities in Tamil Nadu soon.

The concept launched in Chennai last month works this way: Owners of two-wheelers and cars enrol with Shareadrive for an annual fee of Rs 100 and by providing address and ownership proof such as registration certificate book, insurance and passport or mobile payment bill. Similarly, those who would like to avail themselves of commuting service will also get enrolled providing the route they would like to take and the pick-up points.

Shareadrive connects the hosts (who own vehicles) and guests (who seek to avail themselves of the service). Its revenues come from ‘connecting charges’.

For a 10 km drive the guest has to pay Rs 10 on two-wheelers and Rs 30 by air-conditioned cars. The guest benefits out of a safe and hassle-free travel, while the hosts benefit out of revenue on utilising the resources, says the Managing Director of Shareadrive, Mr G. Shivram.

For instance, a car running 20 km a day for 25 days in a month can earn Rs 6,000 if it carries four guests regularly. The company gets Rs 50 from every guest and Rs 150 from every host as connecting charges every month. “This will benefit the car owners as it helps them utilise the unutilised space. Besides, it also helps conserve fuel and environment,” he says.

For this carpooling system to be successful, volumes hold the key. To augment subscriber base, the company plans to open branches through franchise route in major residential locales of the city.