There’s a new ride-sharing app in Sydney, because we need more Uber-adjacent services. But this one is a little different, as it lets you pick your driver and suggest a fare.
It’s called inDrive.
inDrive announced its Aussie launch earlier this year with the tagline of being a “revolutionary ride-hailing service”. “Revolutionary” because it “promotes justice in the market”. inDrive said it enables passengers and drivers to set their own prices by negotiating directly.
In June, inDrive launched in Melbourne and as of today, it’s live in Sydney, too.
How this works is the passenger makes a request for a ride (by selecting pick up and drop off locations), then they suggest a price they want to pay for the trip. They can also add additional info, such as a request for a child’s car seat or another stop.
Drivers nearby can either accept the offered fare or make a counteroffer. The passenger is then presented with offers from multiple drivers and they choose the one they want. In addition to the pitched fare, picking your driver can be based on their rating (you can see this ahead of time), the type of car they drive (it’s gonna be a Toyota Camry, it always is) and how quick they say they can arrive.
Like with other ride-share services, you can contact the driver prior to their arrival, see the car’s approximate arrival time and its real-time geolocation point on the map.
Something we can get behind, is that inDrive does not increase prices based on high demand or weather. Many of us know this as ‘surge pricing’. And to get drivers to sign up, inDrive is waiving commission requirements for the first six months. inDrive isn’t saying how much their cut is, but said it “assures drivers” its “commission will be the lowest on the market”.
inDrive already operates in Brisbane and Melbourne, and by expanding into Sydney, inDrive Australian country manager Mike Chauhan is certain there’s room for another ride-sharing company down under.
“It is obvious that Sydneysiders are exhausted by the ride-share options currently available and are ready for a new experience, one that is both fair and benefits both riders and drivers,” said Chauhan. “Our innovative model has led to inDrive becoming one of the fastest-growing ride-sharing platforms in the world, and Sydney is ready for something different, something fun and something fair for all.”
inDrive said it has over 150 million downloads and that it operates in 47 countries. It was previously called inDriver, but they’ve dropped the ‘r’.
This article has been updated since it was first published.