Future convenient & real-time car pooling

Carpool 2.0

Proposed details

Credit and debit $ amounts are calculated by computer.  Fees will be adjusted based upon feedbacks.   Philosophy is explained. 

 

a fee of $0.83 to pick up and drop off.  Computer determines intermediate transfer points to destination with each passenger.  The pick up fee motivates drivers into smaller roads.  Longer wait to find willing drivers plus more transfers points are incentives for passengers to select pick-up location accessible to drivers.

 

a mileage fee based on distance, the average cost of lead-free consumed by vehicle at fixed 17 mpg.  Fee does not fully compensate drivers but is an incentive.  Drivers favor long drives but passengers will find alternatives for long distances.  Mileage fee is incentive for drivers to offer long distance carpool and to schedule long trips days ahead so that sufficient number of passengers in network can be found.  Normally, only one passenger will be charged and single payment to driver.  With sufficient time for network to gather 2 or 3 passengers along a longer route, then complicated debit from 2 or 3 accounts can be devised.

 

a drive time fee = $0.06 x number of minutes.  Time fee encourages city and urban usage of carpool because slow speed during rush hour, inside cities and along heavily trafficked urban roads and therefore time spent driving is longer for every carpool mile.

 

a 5% service charge covers costs of using credit cards plus maintaining the Carpool 2.0 computer network.  Carpool 2.0 is intended as social service that can break-even at relatively low volume.  After acceptance, a nationwide or a world-wide network can be profitable.

Governing rules:

Passenger in short story selects to be picked up at 7-11 mini-mart near his home with final destination, Fiesta Mall.  He is walking distance to the mini-mart and waits in his home until the network notifies him he has a ride.  Given the time of day plus availability of drivers, computer determines just one intermediate transfer point is required.  Distance from his home to the intermediate transfer point is 11 miles, and networks estimates 14 minutes drive time.  For this example, the price of unleaded gasoline nationwide is $1.72/gallon (system can adjust to regional variation).

 

Pick up and drop off fee = $0.83

Mileage fee 1st leg = (11 * $1.72)/17 = $1.113

Time fee 1st leg = $0.06 x 14 = $0.84

5% service charge = $0.139

 

Debit to passenger = $2.92

Credit to 1^st driver = $2.78

 

2nd leg of his trip to reach his mall is 6 miles but is estimated by network to take 16 minutes.

 

Pick up and drop off fee = $0.83

Mileage fee 2^nd leg = (6 * $1.72)/17 = $0.607

Time fee for 2^nd leg = $0.06 x 16 = $0.96

5% service charge = $0.12

 

Debit to passenger = $2.52

Credit to 2^nd driver = $2.40

 

In our fictional short story, the 1^st driver offers to drive passenger to mall and passenger accepts the gracious offer.  The total distance traveled without an intermediate transfer is now 15 miles and total estimated drive time is 25 minutes.

 

Pick up and drop off fee = $0.83

Mileage fee trip = (15 * $1.72)/17 = $1.518

Time fee for trip = $0.06 * 25 = $1.50

5% service charge = $0.192

 

Debit to passenger = $4.04

Credit to sole driver = $3.85

Calculated example: