Carpooling is an increasingly popular way of commuting. In fact, a number of companies are offering this service to their employees. Commuters in Montreal and Quebec City will also be happy to learn that a new multimodal ride sharing platform is currently being launched. Called Netlift, it's the only one in the world that allows people to link a carpooling route with a public transit route.

How does it work? First, Netlift members request a route through the website or mobile app. A driver agrees to pick them up using the same website or app. Passengers then confirm their departure and later their arrival by clicking on the corresponding button – or they can specify ''transfer'' when they choose to use public transit to extend their commute. Surprisingly, they're the ones suggesting a reasonable charge for the requested trip, with 70% going to the driver and the other 30% to Netlift.

Photo: Netlift

But wait, it gets even more interesting: Multi-time passengers (10+ commutes per month) collect CO2 credits that increase their driver's share from 70% to 85%!

''Both passengers and drivers can positively and significantly reduce CO2 emissions from transportation, one of the leading causes of global warming,'' says Netlift founder and president Marc-Antoine Ducas.

You can do a quick search on Facebook to find out if some of your friends are Netlift members. It's also possible to rate users based on their punctuality, courtesy, reply time and other such criteria. This helps develop a sense of trust and dependability on both sides.

Some of the companies and institutions that are part of Netlift include Montreal University, HEC Montreal, Polytechnique Montreal, Dale Parizeau Morris Mackenzie as well as the Quebec Metro High Tech Park. Others are currently in talks to join Netlift and help attract a total of 600,000 users in the first year including 2,000 regular users. The plan is to double the network within two years.

Netlift	Auto solo	Public Transport	Train (5 AMT zone)
$0,06 to $0,10 per km	$0,10 to $0,45 Per km +parking + toll	$121 per month ($6,00 per day)	$142 per month (TRAM)
$2,75 per ride $5,50 per day	$4,00 $ to $18,00 per day	$7,00 per ride (unitary)	$3,50 per ride $7,00 per day

''Netlift banks on social commuting by offering a dynamic multimodal platform to reduce vacancy on the road, maximize the use of reserved traffic lanes and fight global warming,'' explains Ducas. ''Netlift stands as the most intuitive and user-friendly carpooling app on the market.''

With sustainable mobility becoming more important than ever, here's hoping that this initiative will expand into the rest of Canada and beyond.

Source: Netlift