OpenRide – An Open Infrastructure to facilitate spontaneous Shared Rides

Increasing mobility costs together with a much keener awareness of environmental concerns are now leading to a much higher demand for cost-effective flexible alternatives to traditional mobility services.

Developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communication Systems, OpenRide is a package solution for the provision of shared cost rides. Drivers and passengers on the move can use their mobile phones to connect with OpenRide and offer or look for immediate transport opportunities.

Unlike established solutions for shared rides, OpenRide enables drivers to offer spontaneous shared rides when already on the road, and it also covers journeys over short distances. Thus OpenRide exploits the previously untapped market potential for free transit capacities in private individual transport.

One special feature of OpenRide is the openness of its infrastructure which offers established rideshare agencies and communities a simple means of connecting up with OpenRide and thus gaining a foothold on the market for mobile ad hoc rideshare opportunities.

How OpenRide works

Please click on the graphic below to view the video in an extra window.

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OpenRide Benefits at a Glance:

	Flexibility	Effort	Costs	Speed	Comfort
Car	++	+	--	++	++
Short-distance public transit	-	o	o	+	o
Ride Shares	--	--	+	++	+
Bicycle	++	+	++	--	--
OpenRide	++	+	+	++	+

Key: ++ = very good; o = average; -- = very poor