Creator of local carpooling app honoured for venture
Posted May 24, 2013 9:00 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SURREY (NEWS1130) – A former SFU student is hoping to ease traffic congestion, help the environment, and turn a profit all at the same time.
Alice Park is starting a company called go2gether that helps put people in touch with one another so they can carpool to work or school.
“I always felt frustrated driving alone to school because where I lived, it was a half-hour walk away from the bus stop and the bus only came once an hour,” she tells us. “It was a big pain and I wanted to solve it.”
Her application lets people connect with others immediately, so if you’re stuck on campus, you can find out whether someone is close by who can give you a lift.
“It helps the environment, makes driving more affordable for those who can’t access public transit, and you can meet new people,” she says. “There’s a triple benefit.”
Instead of selling subscriptions to the service to students, Park is targeting schools and businesses.
“The last thing I want to do is collect fees from users because they need to save money,” she says. “So we’re going after organizations to sponsor the program by paying a subscription fee. The benefit for organizations is they get to save parking spaces because so many companies don’t have enough of them. So many employees have to park illegally or pay huge parking fees.”
Park was honoured for her venture at a ceremony last night. The Surrey Board of Trade selected her as one of its “Top 25 Under 25” award recipients.
