Traveling to Singapore by land from Johor, Malaysia is the most cost-efficient way of commuting to the island-nation. But it can also be a time-consuming, brain-draining, bladder-challenging, and most importantly, a terribly lonesome experience.
That's because, if you ever get caught in a rush-hour crawl especially during the festivities, be prepared to clock in at least 4 hours behind the wheel and nature seems to always call during these untimely moments.
Traffic jams are a constant along the Causeway. While we've all resigned to our fate that they aren't disappearing soon, suffering in companionship while reducing our carbon footprint through carpooling might just make the journey a little less torturing.
Ride, all the same.
Enter Sameride App.
Born from the gridlocks of Washington DC, the service is an on-demand carpool app that wants to "enhance ride communication among drivers and riders commuting on the same route". In this case, the treacherous Johor Bahru-Singapore route.
Not to be mistaken with e-hailing services in the region, Sameride doesn't operate a fleet of vehicles. Rather, it functions as a messaging service grouping users by home areas, work areas, and commuting schedules.
This was the reason given by Sameride when the Singaporean government said that vehicles in Malaysian weren't allowed to shuttle passengers to the country without a public service vehicle licence (PSVL).
"Sameride does not operate a fleet of cars or hire drivers to provide rides. It is not a taxi app. It is a rather messaging and social platform with grouping by Home Areas, Work Areas, and Schedule. So, similarly to the messaging and social platforms, usage of Sameride app is not subject to regulation."
Surpassing all expectations, Sameride had 500 ride offers and request on its first day of operation, Dec. 30, 2019.
How does it work?
Both rides and drivers will first have to sign up with their email addresses and names. The app will then assign drivers to riders based on a rating system.
Quoting itself akin to a marketplace, Sameride says prices of rides are discussed and negotiated among drivers and riders. Payments are not facilitated either.
According to CNA, some users were quoted anywhere between SG$38 and SG$90 per person for a ride from Singapore to Johor Bahru. One user lamented that the price was the same as the cost of a taxi ride.
The app is free to use but Sameride plans to introduce a premium package with exclusive features for a monthly fee.
Sameride is available for iOS and Android.
Carpooling for the future? Not that easy.
Sameride's MO isn't particularly fresh in neighbouring countries Singapore and Malaysia. Ryde, a Singaporean carpooling app, took off in Malaysia late last year using a non-profit business concept, all in hopes of distracting Malaysians from Grab's ubiquitous presence and encouraging carpooling.
But digital habits are tough to break. So Ryde and Sameride, welcome to Grab territory.
Cover image sourced from TODAY Online.
