I live in a suburb of the capital, in a small town. Finding a suitable job in our town is quite challenging; the available opportunities either don’t match my qualifications or are poorly paid. That’s why I work in the capital, which is about 30 km away from my home.
In the capital, as it is known, the salary level is higher. Every weekday morning, I drive to work in my Renault Megan, and in the evening, I return home after work. I used to commute alone in my car, and my salary was enough to cover fuel and other expenses.
However, after the recent increase in fuel prices, the monthly fuel expenses started to consume almost half of my earnings. I considered switching to public transport to save on the family budget. Recently, my neighbor told me that he commutes to work in the capital and takes carpoolers who are heading in the same direction, and they contribute to the trip expenses.
He shared a link to the StopCar app, which he uses himself. In this app, drivers post their trips, and passengers can book seats. I decided to give it a try and installed the StopCar app from the Play Market on my Android phone. I found many driver offers from my town and neighboring cities in the app.
I posted my trip to the nearest metro station, and within 10 minutes, I received a message from a girl who wanted to book a seat in my trip. I checked her profile: her photo, profile rating, and read reviews about her – all positive. So, I allowed her booking.
Within an hour, all four seats in my car were booked. I coordinated with everyone to meet at 07:00 near the central market. The next morning, I picked up all my fellow travelers, and we set off together. During the trip, I found out that all passengers were regular users of the StopCar service, which allows them to post trips and book seats for free. This is unlike other competitors who charge a percentage for each booking for local rides.
Among my passengers were two fellow commuters and two students. We had great conversations and bonded well, discussing the inconveniences of public transport and how carpooling was more advantageous and quicker for them to reach the metro station than taking a bus.
After the trip, I gave all the passengers a five-star rating in the app and wrote short positive reviews. After this journey, I started using the StopCar service daily for my commutes to work and beyond. It allows me to compensate for fuel expenses and avoid switching to public transport, helping me save on the family budget and continuously make new acquaintances.