This startup will help you ride to work and back with ones you trust

Ah! The traffic in an Indian city. A scenario so lamentable that office goers justify why they were late in one word. “Traffic”.

Nevertheless, there are many ways to get to your office, you could drive or ride on your own, hire a cab or an auto rickshaw, avail the office cab facilities where available, and if you are really, really lucky, walk to your office.

RideIT, a Hyderabad based startup, offers an alternate solution. Or at least tries to address the problem. This is a ride-share matching service exclusively for working professionals could find people traveling the same route to work.

You choose a route, the point of pick up, and connect with other carpoolers. I cannot term it as a carpool alone, since motorbikes and auto rickshaws are also included. The users can refer to the price listed or discuss the cost-sharing beforehand.

The concept seems simple enough but the trend is yet to catch on in the country. “A major reason for this is because of no strong support/incentive from the government,” says Rahul Jacob, co-founder of the Hyderabad based startup. Besides, there is a grey area of the law, Section 66 of the Indian Motor Vehicles Act, which prohibits using private vehicles for hire or rewards.

Nevertheless, in the last two years many ride-share startups have sprung up in different cities, like Orahi, Rindingo, Let’s Drive Along, and the more recent addition, Tripda.

At a time when taxi operators have been facing the heat from the government, this seems like a viable option. But what about the safety of the users?

“It is a deliberate decision on our part to restrict the access to working professionals,” says Jacob. “The trust factor is higher when you deal with folks with similar backgrounds.” RideIT’s 5,100 users have been authenticated through his or her official office email address to ensure that the travel companion is an employee of an established company.

RideIT is planning a launch of the iOS and Android apps in January and expects to customize the app towards gated communities and colleges in the near future. The firm is also planning to expand to cities beyond Hyderabad. The idea which, was conceptualized at the Infosys Hyderabad campus, has won an award for its social initiative.

The question remains: will carpooling actually ensure that you reach your office in time? I doubt it. After all the pickup driver might show up 10 minutes late at your location and say: “Traffic”.

See: This intercity ridesharing startup wants everyone to save money, reduce carbon emissions