Dynamic ridesharing

This project intends minimize the number of journeys of cars occupied by just one person. For this purpose we are developing a tool that makes it easier for private vehicle owners to share journeys with little planning ahead.

This is known as dynamic ridesharing or dynamic carpooling and it reduces traffic congestion, carbon emissions to the atmosphere and the increasing travel costs for the user derived from the daily usage of the car.

In order to achieve our aim we have developed a prototype of the system that manages the information efficiently to put drivers and passengers with common journeys in contact. In addition, pilot testing the system between two cities of the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona has allowed us to assess the level of acceptance among users and administrations.

The system will make use of wireless communication technologies such as SMS, GPRS or 3G to put users in contact, and GPS location devices installed in cars.