Just in time for the rainy, cold West Coast winter is a free smartphone app designed to make it more affordable to grab a taxi. Cab Share Canada is the brainchild of Douglas College students Cameron Nicol and Jack Gardner and their partner Shehan Wijeyagoonewardane of Western University in London, Ontario.
Cab Share users input their departure and arrival locations with an approximate desired time. Upon selecting a user to travel with, the automatic chat function opens in order for the details to be arranged. If a rider has concerns about who they share their cab with, the app allows the choice to travel with your 'same gender’ or ‘no preference’.
Nicol says the group came up with the idea after observing long lines for taxis around campus. Noticing the use of social media to advertise the desire to share fares heading to popular locations, it naturally begged the question – how could they combine the two?
“We researched the existence of similar applications currently available in Canada but discovered they were often inactive or making little progress,” Nicol explains. “Initially we started with a university campus model in both Vancouver and London, these being highly populated and condensed areas. We’ve quickly seen growth into the rest of the city and the app is fully functional all over Canada.”
Currently available only for iOS, a version of Cab Share for Android will launch in the next few months. Ten percent of their profits will go toward the World Wildlife Fund as part of their environmentally friendly approach to transportation.
Already looking toward the future, Nicol and his team plan to reach out to Mothers Against Drunk Drivers and partner with specific taxi companies.
“We’d like to become a mainstay; a way to sort of revolutionize cab use. Our motto is simple – Stop wasting your money. Start saving the environment.”
