Carpooling has only advantages, both for the driver and for the passenger. The costs are shared, there is a good atmosphere in the car and above all, we reduce our carbon footprint. To ensure that the collaborative transport journey goes well, it is still necessary to know the basic rules governing carpooling.
Always go through the dedicated sites
If you want to offer your car for carpooling then, avoid doing so via classified ads, prefer the legal route. Contact a networking platform and submit your offer there, specifying the destination city, departure point, time, number of places available, etc. If you are a passenger, go to the “book a seat” area. In this way, you will avoid encounters with unsavory people and avoid mishaps in the process.
Define commission and shared costs
As the primary idea is to help, but not to get rich, you will have to find a good compromise when you define the price and the commissions collected. As the driver, you can ask passengers to contribute to fuel costs and tolls. You can also offer a price per kilometer to be multiplied by the distance of the trip. In any case, commissions should not exceed 50% of the base price. The commission that the connection sites take corresponds to 10 to 20% of the price of the trip .
Do not use company vehicles
Do not carpool with a company vehicle, it is prohibited and you risk more than a fine. Indeed, you will not be able to use the car other than its primary function which is to help you travel from the office to home and vice versa and family outings. If you get caught then the management will have the right to fire you. What you need to know is that it is your employer’s responsibility to pay the cost of insurance for the company car. The insurance in question only covers the professional and private use of the employee. Also, in the event of accidents in the context of carpooling, you risk a lot. Added to this is the fact that you used the car in exchange for payment, you will also have the tax authorities and the Urssaf on your back.
Never pay cash
The passenger must imperatively book his trip and pay in advance via his bank card or the Paypal service on the site which put him in touch with the driver. The sum will then be paid back to the driver once the journey has been completed. Only these two means of payment can be accepted and even if one of the parties offers to pay in cash, it is necessary to know how to refuse. Indeed, the cases where the passenger who has booked, but who offers to pay in cash on the spot can choose not to make the trip in the end. For his part, the driver can also increase the costs at the last moment. In short, to avoid mishaps, you have to stick to the classic method of payment by credit card.