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Tuesday July 29, 2025

Online carpooling fuels transportation of car-less travellers

By Shahid Shah
January 24, 2016

Tripda, an online carpooling service, is serving passengers on Islamabad- Lahore and Karachi-Hyderabad routes. The marketplace’s co-founder and global chief executive officer Pedro Meduna shared its operational details in an email interview. 

Q: How has the carpooling idea emerged?

A: The idea first came to me when I used to carpool in Europe while studying in Germany. At that time, I used to study in Mannheim, but I had a friend that I visited very often who lived in Stuttgart. Carpooling was 70 percent cheaper than the train and I got to practice my German while meeting new people. I loved the product then and I still love the product today. It took me some time for me to execute the idea, I first started my career with management consulting and then private investments, but after I got in contact with the right set of investors I decided to put the idea into practice. Tripda began its operations from Brazil in May 2014 and expanded to Pakistan in December 2014.

Q: What’s been the response?

A: The response up to now has been great. Unlike the company I used in Europe, at Tripda we have decided to focus on emerging markets, countries where the infrastructure for long-distance travelling is not so developed, alternative modes of transportation can be expensive and the cost of owning a car versus the average income is very high. We believed our markets had a strong fit for the product. 2015 was our first full year and we have transported over one million members around our markets globally. It is exciting to see the traction we were able to achieve. We have had a great response from Pakistan which has emerged in the top five markets for Tripda operations globally.

Q: How the masses are benefiting from your service?

A: Here is the great part. Everyone benefits from using Tripda. Let´s suppose I am someone who owns a car, I work in Islamabad but I have my family living in Lahore. By using Tripda and offering the spare seats I have in my car when travelling, I am able to meet new people and share the costs of my rides every time I travel. For the members that don´t own a car and get to travel with me, they will have the chance to travel for less cost, in less time while also getting to know more likeminded people. The environment also benefits with less cars on the roads, since the masses are now able to share cars, which on the long-term will result in less traffic and less pollution.

Q: How safe is to travel with strangers?

A: It is safe. In fact, safety is one of our top priorities. First, all of our users have to have Facebook accounts, so members are able to see profile pictures, number of friends and even if they share friends in common. Our system allows for you to register either a corporate e-mail or a university e-mail so that you can add an important credential to your profile. We validate phones and e-mails and every-time someone travels with another member they can write evaluations (ratings and reviews) defining their experiences, so that other members can know more about who they will be travelling with. Last but not least, women are offered a “ladies only” option in which they will only travel with other women. It is also important to mention that our users usually talk to the companion prior to the trip to confirm final arrangements and usually meet at a public place. We work hard to build a strong community of members to foster trust and we have never had any incidents in any of our markets (including Pakistan) despite the massive volume of members transported.

Q: Why is there a need for carpooling?

A: The cars that we drive today are made to fit on average five people, but reality is that the vast majority of car owners drive alone. In the emerging markets where Tripda operates society is already living with traffic congestions as part of their normal lives. Carpooling will make use of all this wasted capacity, allowing for less cars on the roads and creating an additional sustainable mainstream form of transportation. And the best part as discussed earlier is that everyone benefits from it.

Q: How do you see the public transportation system in Pakistan?

A: The existing modes of public transport such as buses, wagons, trains in Pakistan are unable to fulfill the need and demand of the country. Buses and trains often do not operate on time and some have even substandard seats. This is the reason Tripda has witnessed significant growth and traction on key routes, such as Lahore – Islamabad and Karachi - Hyderabad because it provides users with the option to travel in the comfort and convenience of a car at less price and time than buses and trains. Given the investment being made to improve road infrastructure as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, we expect more people to prefer travelling in their own cars, which will positively impact our business in the future.       

Q: Any additional thought?

A: Just wanted to say that I am positively impressed by our operation in Pakistan. We were able to find a great local team that is building a great community of engaged trusted users. At the end of the day, I am sure that the success of Tripda will walk hand in hand with the success of the country. We will get to a point in which the masses will carpool together, promoting a more integrated country in a more sustainable way. One of the reasons Tripda is a great product is that it unites its users bringing them together despite some differences they may share.

Tripda also has operations in India and just like we bring users together, I hope Tripda can help acting as a small force to bring these two nations together. Over the long term, I dream that in one day I will be  to carpool from Chandigarh in India to Lahore, judging by how well Pakistani host their visitors I am sure this will be a highly demanded route.