New technologies have made mass carpooling possible for the first time. Putting more people into less cars may be an old idea, but nowadays it makes more and more sense.

Every week, people spend hours behind the wheel of a car. And the congestion caused by the use of all these cars themselves represents a huge cost. Through the new technologies, there is an opportunity to improve urban mobility for future generations.

Carpooling consists of sharing your own vehicle and the cost of a trip between several passengers. In the same car different people are joined who usually make the same journey, either from home to work or a long trip around the country. This is an economical transportation solution, and also an environmentally friendly measure. By reducing the number of cars circulating in cities it is possible to reduce CO2 emissions.

WHAT IS SMARTRIDE?

It is about creating a viable alternative to owning the car itself. In the background, SmartRide resembles a hitchhiker, but is ordered through the internet - on the smartphone, tablet or computer - and not with the finger raised in the air, on the road, as traditionally.

HOW IT WORKS?

At SmartRide people can place their travel availability so they do not travel alone or, if they prefer, seek a trip to do with others. There are two types of users: the driver and the passenger.

To start using this service you need to register on the smartride app and choose the type of profile (driver or passenger). From there you can search or publish the trips you plan to make. After finding a viable option for the driver and passenger, the reservation of the seat is made or a contact is made to combine the details of the route: time, place of departure, costs, stops, etc.

For everything to be done safely, carpooling sites recommend that people "connect" through a social network like Facebook. Another security measure is the user rating system. It is also advisable to pass the trip data to a family member or a person nearby.

Carpooling is one of many shared mobility models that will allow cities to reduce the number of cars and help people spend less time in traffic or looking for a place to park.