JOIN USWith the rise in the number of vehicles and traffic, commuting in the City has become a huge task. So it’s not a wonder why many people are opting to carpool.
This is where ‘PoolCircle’ comes into the picture. Started in July 2013 by Raghu Ramanujam, ‘PoolCircle’ helps people commute in a safe and fun way. Raghu, who has over 22 years of diverse industry experience, would spend two hours each day commuting to work.
“‘PoolCircle’ came about when we did a survey in January 2013 about the roads and vehicles of Bangalore and found out that 72 per cent of the cars consist of just one passenger on a weekday. We wanted to use technology and social infrastructure to bring in more efficiency as far as commuting was
concerned.” ‘PoolCircle’ is available as a free app on Android and iOS. One can also log on to www.poolcircle.com. It is a closed group which can be accessed through social networking sites. Users need to register on ‘PoolCircle’ with their mobile number. They can then set up their carpool preference on ‘MyCircle’. They can choose their fellow companions from their contacts.
The user can then offer a ride or look for one by specifying where they want to be picked up from, the destination and the time of travel. The results are shown immediately and ‘PoolCircle’ will also notify the user automatically whenever the service is available. Enterprises have to pay on a one time set-up fee and an ongoing subscription fee.
For the end user, it is currently free. Safety is a huge concern in carpooling but ‘PoolCircle’ tackles it in a smart way. The app allows users to set which network of connections or circles they want to carpool with. Users can choose from their colleagues to Facebook friends and LinkedIn connections in addition to ‘Women Only Carpools’. They can also rate their carpool experience.
This ensures that the safest and most punctual users get a higher preference.