With gas prices recorded at over $1.70/L in Vancouver yesterday, many are turning to Poparide to reduce costs with some drivers collecting over $500 a month in carpool money.

Vancouver, BC — April 16, 2019

Vancouverites are questioning how long they will be able to sustain driving their cars with the price at the pump recorded at over $1.70 yesterday.

Many drivers have already found an innovative way to stop paying for gas through Poparide, a ridesharing app of 150,000 users launched in Vancouver in 2015 that matches drivers and passengers heading the same direction.

Unlike Uber and Lyft, Poparide drivers are allowed to carry passengers under a BC carpooling exemption as long as “neither the driver nor the operator receives any compensation for that transportation other than contributions for operating costs”.

Take Melissa McMahon, a Squamish resident who drives into Vancouver daily and has driven over 1,000 on Poparide since January 2018.



“Poparide is great! It lets me offset my commuting costs significantly but it also makes my 45-minute commute a breeze thanks to the great conversations I have with my passengers,” says McMahon, who is reportedly collecting around $500 a month on Poparide.

Melissa’s profile on Poparide

Passengers also benefit from this system by getting an affordable ride. Kristi Collins lives in Squamish, works in Whistler and uses Poparide to get a ride to work every other day.

“Poparide has been a life saver for me. I couldn’t find a place to live in Whistler so instead I moved to Squamish and I use Poparide to get to work. It’s been super convenient and for $10 each way it’s by far the most affordable option out there, and you always get to meet cool people.”

Kristi’s profile on Poparide

Flo Devellennes, Poparide Co-founder & CEO, explains the service is growing rapidly in Western Canada due to favourable economic conditions. “We’ve grown 200% in the past year. First, the withdrawal of Greyhound last October created a huge gap in the transportation of passengers, and now soaring gas prices are making drivers look for new ways to reduce their gas bill—and Poparide is the perfect solution for both.”

Devellennes reports that the average occupancy per trip on their platform is 2.9 people per vehicle, higher than the reported national average of 1.6 people per vehicle. “In helping people share rides, we’re also helping Canada reach its carbon emission targets by increasing vehicle occupancy and reducing people’s carbon footprint,” adds Devellennes.

About Poparide

Poparide is a city-to-city ridesharing platform launched in Vancouver in 2015. It boasts over 150,000 members across Canada and has helped its members share over 15 million kilometres. Popular routes in British Columbia include Vancouver to Squamish ($10 a seat) and Vancouver to Kelowna ($40 a seat).