Spark Centre client and one of Ignite Durham’s Final Five, Blancride, has hit over 500 users of their innovative mobile app designed to evolve carpooling into the modern age. Using GPS and smartphone technology, BlancRide matches passengers and drivers based on similar routes. Passengers save time, drivers save money and everyone saves the environment.
Blancride’s first beta was launched in November targeting students, staff and faculty at University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) and Durham College. The company was founded by Dr. Hamid Akbari, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Business and Information Technology (FBIT) at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT). UOIT featured Blancride in a recent news story about how quickly the company has evolved.
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UOIT Researcher’s Innovative Carpooling App Creating a Smooth Ride for Commuters
Fuel and insurance costs, parking fees, vehicle upkeep, traffic congestion, weather conditions and sheer time spent on the road. No matter how you slice it, commuting by car in the GTA tests every driver’s patience. And it certainly takes a toll on the pocketbook.
One way motorists can get around the financial roadblock of commuting is to share costs by setting up a carpool. But even getting a carpool off the ground can be a trying task: how do you find people who are going where you are? How do you know where to meet someone? What if schedules change?
“We examined all of these questions and looked for a way to create an app-based tech solution to tackle the challenges that prevent carpooling,” said Dr. Hamid Akbari, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Business and Information Technology (FBIT) at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT). “Our answer is Blancride: an innovative carpooling platform that matches passengers with drivers who share the same travel needs.”
Blancride works through smartphones as a customized message-board. It automatically balances the costs of each trip between each passenger and driver, simplifying the financial transaction and lowering the cost of each individual’s trip. Blancride takes a small fee for performing the service.
(Click here to read the full story…)
