Frequently Asked Questions

What is carpooling and ridesharing?

Carpooling and ridesharing are about sharing your travel. By filling spare seats in your car you can save money, reduce your carbon emissions, meet people and have fun.

There are plenty of reasons to carpool.

Technically, a "carpool" is a recurring arrangement to share travel on a regular route. "Ridesharing" or "dynamic ridesharing" is where rides can be taken as needed.

Since most people aren't technical, at Jayride we keep it simple and call the different ride listings "repeating-rides" and "one-off rides".

Why should I carpool?

Here are ten reasons to carpool.

When should I share a repeating ride?

Share a repeating ride if you make the same trip regularly.

E.G: You commute to work or university on weekdays, or visit your family every weekend.

Although you'll only save a little each time you'll be helping others and the savings will add up.

When should I share a one-off ride?

Share a one-off ride if you're marking an irregular trip.

E.G: You're going skiing for the weekend, or to the beach for Christmas holidays.

Sharing a long one off ride can save you a lot of money and emissions in a single go. You'll notice the difference.

What does Jayride mean?

Jayride's name comes from Jay-walk and Joy-ride: It means a way to travel that is different, fun, cheaper and greener.

More, Jayride means simple, cheap travel for everyone.

Is Jayride free to use?

Yes. Jayride is free to use.

So, what's with all the prices?

When you share your ride on Jayride you can choose how much money you want in return for sharing the ride. We don't take a cut, you keep it all.

What should I charge for my ride?

Whatever you like. But consider these things:

1) Think about commercial options

There are lots of cheap transport options out there. If you charge too much you may not find anyone who wants to share. Keeping your price down will help you find happy passengers.

2) Think about your costs

Jayride is here to help you cut your travel costs. In fact, if you don't have a commercial passenger license, it may be breaking the rules to turn a profit. So do a rough tally up of what you think petrol, parking, vehicle maintenance and insurance might cost, and then charge a part of that.

Fair pricing is fair play and people appreciate it.

Can I share driving instead of charging money?

Yes. Just list your ride as "free" (charge $0), and mention whatever terms you like in the comments panel. Something like - "Would like to share driving" - ought to do it!

If you'd like to negotiate, or barter instead of use money, then you can do the same thing.

How does carpooling help the environment?

Carpooling helps you to help the environment by being more efficient with your consumption.

If you drive alone then all the emissions that your vehicle makes will add to your carbon footprint.

If you drive with a passenger, then the same amount of emissions are split 50-50, meaning a smaller carbon footprint for each person.

I have a great idea for transport or the environment, can Jayride help?

We'd like to try! Contact us and we will be in touch.

Do I have to register to use Jayride?

Yes. Registering is free and simple. We require it because it helps to keep everyone safe and honest. We respect your privacy, don't spam, and will never commercially redistribute any information you give us.

If you're concerned, please read our privacy policy.

Is Jayride safe?

Yes. We have been running since January 2007 and in that time have never had a single complaint or safety concern.

As a member, you can review the details of any other member so that you can read about them, and even speak to them before ever meeting.

If you have any concerns about anyone on our site, contact us, and we will check them out immediately. We keep personal details and IP addresses so will quickly work out if anything dodgy is going on.

You can also try these five ideas to feel safe ridesharing.
Please remember though, even with all of the above, your best bet is common sense.

We cannot vouch for every member on Jayride (people come and go), so please use your discretion and if something doesn't feel right then just pull the plug.

Does Jayride keep my details private?

Yes. The only time we will give out your email address is if you contact another member. At that time, we give them your email address so that they can contact you back.

At all other times the email address, physical address, and all personal details you give us are kept private. We will never commercially redistribute any information you give us.

For more, read our privacy policy.

What does "Map details have been randomised for privacy" mean?

All user rideshare maps on Jayride have their start and finish points altered by up to 250m. We do this so that it is impossible to determine the exact home address of the person sharing the ride (for privacy).

Can you add my town?

No. Your town should be in our system already. If you can't find it by name then try clicking on the maps and Jayride will suggest a name for the place.

Because we use an official set of geo-data we can't edit this. However, if you want to set up a carpooling scheme of your own in a specific place we can help you do this, just contact us.

Can you disable my account?

Yes. But if we do then you will never be able to log into it again.

Here's a better idea that still protects your privacy:

1) Cancel your current ride listings

If you don't have a ride listing, no one can contact you. Your account becomes practically invisible.

2) Unsubscribe from emails

If you opt-out of emails on your profile page you will never hear from us. We will never display your email and never sell it either. It will be like you never gave it to us.

Doing these two things will keep your details completely private, but if you ever want to come back you can still login with your old profile.

If you'd still like us to disable your account, please contact us.

Can I help?

Yes! We can always use more help. Try these ideas:

1) List every trip you take on Jayride

The more rides on Jayride, the better for everyone.

2) Tell all your friends

The more people who share a ride, the better our service works. You can even help us advertise by adding banners to your website, Facebook or blog.

3) Stalk us online

Like Jayride on Facebook and follow on Jayride on Twitter.

4) Still not enough?

Contact us and tell us what you have in mind!

What about Hitch.net.nz?

Hitch was the name of the first version of this site launched in January 2007. It quickly became too popular to keep up with demand so in December 2008 we re-built it and renamed it Jayride.

I work for transport company, can I list my transport on Jayride?

Yes. We have plenty of ways to promote your business. Contact us and we'll call you back.

Have more questions?

If you have any unanswered questions about Jayride, we want to help. Contact us.