Tip number 1 - This is not a carpool.

Without coming across like Big Brother, we’ve been watching you… But mainly we’ve been watching how you use our site and have learned a lot from it :)

One benefit is that we’ve now got plenty of ideas for new features that you’d all love to see. The other is we can give you this great list of tips and tricks for ways to improve your Jayride experience! So without further adue:

How to get the most from carpooling online

1 – Share a return ride

Want your rideshare to get twice the attention? Don’t forget the drive home. There are plenty of reasons why a passenger may only want to travel one way, so if you share them both you could find a different passenger for each. Twice the attention and twice the fun!

2- Add a price, but not too high!

If you drive somewhere regularly, chances are you’ll have a good idea of how much it costs you. Many Jayriders list their rides as free then comment ’split costs’. By listing a price you’re helping potential passengers by sharing your know-how and will generate more interest.

Beware of profiteering though! Although it’s tempting to charge $100 for a ride to the dairy, you’re just going to put potential carpoolers off and end up paying for the whole trip yourself.

3 – Add some via’s

Driving from Auckland to Wellington? Would you consider dropping someone in Hamilton? Of course you would! It’s easy for you and helpful for them.

Jayride let’s you add Via locations on any ride, and by adding a via your ride becomes more helpful for passengers, and easier to find.

4 – Shameless carpool self promotion!

If you’re a regular web-user you’re probably using some other community sites. Share your Jayride listing with your friends on these sites! By pasting the URL of your ride listing onto Facebook, Bebo, Twitter (or wherever) your ride will get lots more attention, and you can still benefit from the safe, secure way that Jayride handles your email and personal details.

Or you could go crazy like one of our fans and make something like this!

We hope this list of ideas helps you out! Give them a go and you’ll more than double your chances of finding a successful carpool. Good luck, and happy Jayriding :)

Written by James Beech, journalist for the Otago Daily Times and the Queenstown Times about the upcoming Jayride Challenge.

Online car-pooling service

A NEW online ride-sharing service aims to prove car-pooling works as a way to save money and the environment, by inviting anyone to join a ride from Auckland to Queenstown.

Jayride was founded by Auckland entrepreneurs Rod Bishop and Ross Lin.  Mr Bishop will drive a car, courtesy of sponsor Ace, from the city on Monday and arrive in the resort on February 5.

If Jayride makes it from Auckland to Queenstown, filling spare seats for the whole trip, it will show Kiwis can share any ride they want, whenever they want, Mr Bishop said.

The Jayride Challenge will be blogged with photography from the road at news.jayride.co.nz.

Mr Bishop said the idea started with hitch.net.nz, a car-pooling service he started two years ago and based on a German model.  The service’s popularity prompted the rename and launch of Jayride last December.

Jayride.co.nz was receiving 20,000 page views a month and 200 new members  were registering every three weeks, he said.

It has become New Zealand’s largest public ride-sharing service, with more than 1450 members sharing 14.500 rides around the country.  Registration and searches were free, and travel costs were met by ride sharers.

“In tight financial times, domestic travel is a cost-saving alternative to overseas holidays, especially when New Zealand’s greatest destinations are now cheaper than ever to reach with Jayride.” Mr Bishop said.

“Ride-sharing is a way for New Zealanders to save money on travel expenses and to reduce their carbon footprint.  Emissions from motor vehicles are responsible for New Zealand being the sixth worst polluter per capita in the world.”

22/12/08 – Jayride Launches New Share Transport Website

Wellington, New Zealand, 21/12/08 – Jayride.co.nz launches for the start of the New Zealand summer. Jayride is the next-generation ridesharing website from the makers of Hitch.net.nz, NZ’s largest online rideshare service. Jayride helps kiwis share transport to save money and reduce their carbon footprint… more

07/08/2008 – Hitch-hiking, carpooling and hopping, alternative work transport

With petrol prices at an all time high and the pressure on to reduce our carbon footprint, more and more people are looking at ways to give up their cars or at least use them less.

Public transport is an obvious option but there are other, more inventive ways, to save petrol and maybe even the planet…More

25/06/2008 – Carpooling on the rise

The rising price of petrol has led to a renaissance of carpooling in Wellington.

The people who run the website www.hitch.net.nz say since January there has been a noticeable increase in listings by people looking to share a ride, with around 100 a month. They are a mixture of daily commutes and one-off long distance trips… More