Q: What is Fare/Share anyway?

A: Fare/Share is a simple application that connects people in the same area who are travelling in the same general direction and want to share taxis or minicabs, for whatever reason.  It makes getting around London by cab cheaper, greener and more fun.  It will immediately make sharing a cab to the airport an easy, non-Craigslist proposition, and will make late-night journeys home cheaper and safer for everyone.

Q: I thought Fare/Share was a food charity – am I losing my marbles?

A: No, you’re not losing your marbles. Or, at least, not about this. There is a food charity called FareShare which is completely separate from Fare/Share in every respect – save for the fact that both FareShare and Fare/Share are aiming to help the community. We hope you can understand why we liked the name too and apologise for any confusion. To find out about the food charity FareShare, go to www.fareshare.org.uk

Q: OK, fine.  But isn’t sharing a cab with a total stranger unsafe?

A: First of all, Fare/Share doesn’t make you do anything at all — it just connects you with like-minded people looking to share taxis and save money, reduce emissions, and hopefully reduce traffic in London into the bargain.

If you don’t want to Fare/Share you don’t have to – though please have the courtesy to cancel your request so the other person knows you won’t be Fare/Sharing with them any more.

Moreover, Fare/Share doesn’t require you to share any contact or sensitive information in order to use the service – although you do need to register in the first place.

Finally, given ongoing safety concerns about “dodgy minicabs” and “touts”, we would hope that Fare/Share actually makes things more rather than less safe. If you Fare/Share then there will be at least two of you as well as the driver – so the chances of anything untoward happening should be reduced, not increased.

Q: All right, but what if the person I Fare/Share with is just a bit of an idiot?

A: While we’re fairly confident that your fellow cabmate will be compatible – same or similar locations, App user, happy to Fare/Share, etc – we understand that interpersonal dynamics do not always work out as planned. Jordan and Peter, Cheryl and Ashley, Heather and Paul…

So, if there’s anything you feel other cabmates should know about one of yours, simply send us the relevant feedback and we will look into it. (And if we do bar someone from the service, because Fare/Share accounts are linked to your mobile number, not your email, the likelihood of such a person re-registering multiple phones to share cabs is pretty low.)

Q: Well, how will I know where to meet my cabmate?

A: Fare/Share suggests potential meeting spots for you and your cabmate(s) based on your locations.  But the person confirming the ride will always have the option to move the meeting spot to somewhere more convenient.

Q: OK, makes sense.  But how will we actually recognize each other?

A: Fare/Share actually gives you two options: you can upload a photo and have it linked to your profile, or, if you’re not comfortable doing so, you can just identify yourself by choosing a piece of clothing or accessory and its colour.  Wearing a red hat or black jacket?  That’s all your cabmate will need to know to find you on that corner. (And if that doesn’t work, there’s an easy “Chat” option built in, to enable you to update your cabmate without giving out your digits.)

Q: And what if I’m running late?

A: No problem!  When you confirm your ride, you can choose to make it 5 or 10 or even 15 minutes out – but if you;re still running late, there’s an easy “chat” option built in too.  Your cabmate will have to confirm, of course, that the ride is still on, but you always have the option to delay a ride – or cancel if things just don’t work out.

Q: Can I preload rides for later times or dates?

A: Yes, Fare/Share is for instant or future use.  If you’re a last minute kind of cab-user, just submit your ride request and let Fare/Share do the rest. If you prefer to plan ahead – especially useful for early morning airport runs and the like – then Fare/Share does that too and enables you to manage your Shares and sync with your calendar too.

Q: And will Fare/Share help me actually book a cab too?

A: Sure. Fare/Share has two functions: the primary one is for finding cabmates; but you can also use it to call a local taxi or minicab using the “Call a Cab” function.

Q: I know Fare/Share is a greentomatocars business. Does that mean I have to book with greentomatocars if I want to use Fare/Share?

A: It’s entirely up to you which taxi or private hire company you use – which is why it includes the “Call a Cab” function in case you can’t hail a Black Cab. Of course, if you do book with greentomatocars, we’ll be delighted to pick you up.

Q: Sounds great. How do I start?

A: All you need to do is download the App (free of charge) then register your details and away you go…