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This page was created on Apr 19, 2010 and was last updated on Oct 12, 2011
Hitchhiking and carpooling are now greatly enhanced by the use of the new technology. There are many examples on the Internet of complex systems which are designed to match drivers with riders. Carpooling services can be offered by a third party for a modest sum of money or can take the form of a free interactive and totally automated website. The most important role of these automated systems is to map the desired destination of a rider on the path of a driver willing to share the ride with someone, at a particular time. Pickup (meeting points) and drop-off locations are in some cases predefined by the driver or can be negotiated between the driver and the rider, which are in contact through email or telephone. Sometimes, these systems contain a reputation assignment mechanism based on history for both, the driver as well as the rider. In these cases membership is required to access the carpooling service. A code of conduct is also provided in most cases. Other tools such as interactive maps and other type of travel information is also provided.
With the advent of GPS smart phones these systems can go a step further, eliminating the need to access a website at some fixed location to find/give a ride. Moreover, the service can become very dynamic, as the rider can be picked-up by a driver on the fly, if they find themselves within a certain range from each other.
What is the connection between technology-assisted car pooling and the multitude social movement? The new technology makes it easier for individuals to get an essential service, like commuting to work every day, from other individuals. It all becomes peer-to-peer. Thus, an important share of the public transportation market is shifted from centralized systems to the multitude. This eventually leads to greater control over the transportation infrastructure, to a better planning of these infrastructures according to the needs of the multitude and based on sustainable principles. Let's not forget that the oil and car industries have been heavily involved in the design of modern urban architecture and transportation infrastructure.
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