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Patrick Weltert

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Under what circumstances would you share a taxi with a stranger?

I have an Idea to create a platform that would enable easy sharing of taxis. This would reduce the overall fare for the customers and increase the revenue of the taxi.

In order to figure out if this is wanted and what people would need to participate I would like to get some general feedback on what prerequisites you need before you would share a taxi with strangers and what you think about the concept.

I would be really glad to get as much feedback as possible.

Topics: business idea environmental awareness group buying innovation sharing social networking taxi
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  • Pocahontas Water

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    Apr 26 2012: I would be glad to do so. We all have been strangers before to meet each other:)

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      Patrick Weltert

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      Apr 26 2012: That is a valuable inshight Bharath. Would you say you do not want to share with someone you don't know? Would maybe the fact that this person is a 2nd tier contact or a friend of a friend influence your decision of agreeing to share before you actually met this person?

      Regards
      Patrick
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    Fritzie Reisner 100+

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    Apr 23 2012: In many cities in the United States, there are shuttle vans that pick people up at home and take them to the airport or take people from the airport to their front doors. These services are very popular, they are quite equivalent to shared taxis (except fit more people because the vehicles are vans), and no one has any idea in either direction who will be sharing the van.

    One calls a day ahead to reserve a spot on the van to the airport but typically needs no reservation in the other direction.
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      Patrick Weltert

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      Apr 26 2012: Do you think this concept would also work for other rides, apart from going to the airport?
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        Fritzie Reisner 100+

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        Apr 26 2012: What makes the shuttle to the airport economically viable is that lots of people need transportation there, or from there, on a regular basis. That might be the precondition for keeping vans full enough to support door to venue services at a manageable cost to customers.

        I believe charter vans are common in other countries for connecting locations that go beyond airports and charter buses also at a larger size. I believe charter vans are a common form of transport in Mexico.

        My point was only that people show plenty of signs of being willing to share transportation with strangers. Were I researching this question to establish whether such a service is viable at home, I would begin by looking for models of shared vans in other places.

        The idea is not itself novel, though it may not exist where you live.
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          Patrick Weltert

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          Apr 26 2012: Thanks for your answer Fritzie, you're right, the idea is not new and I'm aware of this, but in my opinion there has not been a single successful implication of this idea outside of the "airport to city" routes. I know there has been a few start ups recently in the US who tried to do the same but there has to be more behind the fear of sharing privacy with a stranger.

          Talking to people i've heard sentences like "if i take the luxurity of a taxi, then i want to enjoy it myself" or "what if this person then does something to me?"

          I guess safety or a perceived safety are the most important thing in this concept, but I have not figured out properly how this could be achieved.
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        Fritzie Reisner 100+

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        Apr 26 2012: But people are with strangers on vans to the airport all the time. Why is safety not an issue there then?
        In terms of the luxury of a taxi as being the reason not to share, those for whom the taxi fare is a pittance would likely not choose to share. The reason (from the private customer's viewpoint) to share is a reduction in cost, which matters a great deal more for some people than for others.
        Such a service may have a greater chance of viability in locations where crime is low than in locations where crime is high, though at the same time the service would be most viable for customers for whom the price matters.
        What sort of locations do you have in mind?
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