How carpooling in Karachi will work on Chalo Bhai
Post your route once. Get matched with people who travel the same way at the same time. Agree a fuel share and ride together every day. The app is in development, and this is the plan for the first version.
From posting a route to a daily carpool
Post your route
If you drive, you add where you start, where you finish, the roads you take, the days you travel and the window in which you leave. You also set how far off your route you are willing to go for a pickup.
If you need a ride, you add your pickup point, your drop point, your days and your timing. One account covers both, so you can offer seats on some days and look for one on others.
Get matched with people on the same route and time
Matching follows the route, not just the area names. A rider fits a driver when the pickup is close to the driver's route, the drop is further along that same route, and the days and time windows overlap.
You see a short profile for each match: which verifications they have, their rating once they have one, and how closely the route and timing fit. Nothing is shared with them yet.
Both sides accept
A match only goes ahead if the driver and the rider both accept it. Until then neither of you can see the other's phone number. If either person declines, nothing more happens.
Meet, agree and ride together daily
Once you have both accepted, you are connected on WhatsApp. Agree the pickup point, the timing and the fuel share between yourselves, and try it for a week.
From then on it is a standing arrangement: the same people at the same time each day, for as long as it suits everyone. After you have ridden together, you can rate each other.
What a route match means
Two people can both live in Gulshan and work in Saddar and still be a poor match, if one takes University Road and the other goes via Shahrah-e-Faisal. So Chalo Bhai compares the route itself.
The rider's pickup has to fall within the distance the driver has chosen, and the drop has to come later on the same route. The driver never has to double back, and the rider does not need to work in the same building as the driver, only on the way.
Fuel sharing, not fares
Chalo Bhai is not a taxi or ride-hailing service. The driver is making the trip anyway. Riders contribute to the petrol for it, and the driver does not make a profit. The amount is agreed directly between carpool partners, and Chalo Bhai takes no commission.
A fair starting point is the petrol cost of the shared trip divided by the number of people in the car, including the driver. The petrol cost calculator works that out for your distance and your car.
Common questions about how it works
How do drivers and riders split the cost?
Riders contribute to the fuel for the shared part of the route. The driver and riders agree the amount between themselves before they start, usually as a weekly or monthly contribution. The idea is to share petrol ka kharcha, not to make a profit. Our petrol cost calculator gives both sides a fair starting number for their route.
Do I need to drive or ride every day?
No. You choose the days. A driver might offer seats Monday to Thursday only, and a rider might need a seat three days a week. Matching takes your days into account, so you are only paired with people whose schedule overlaps with yours.
Can I drive some days and ride on others?
Yes. One account will cover both. Many households share a car, and plenty of people would rather not drive every single day. You will be able to offer seats on the days you have the car and look for a seat on the days you don't.
When is it launching?
The app is in development and we are not announcing a date we might miss. Early access will open route by route, starting where the most drivers and riders have signed up. Joining the waitlist is the way to hear first and to move your route up the list.
Chalo, saath chalte hain
The app is in development. Tell us your route and we'll message you on WhatsApp when early access opens for it.
- Free to join, and no commission when the app launches
- Early access goes to routes with the most signups first
- One WhatsApp message when your route opens. No spam.