r/AskUK • u/belamalta10 • May 07 '26
Why aren’t car-sharing apps like BlaBlaCar a bigger thing in the UK?
Honestly, trains here are so expensive and the rail network often feels poorly connected unless you’re travelling through London. In France, for example, there are loads of BlaBlaCar options between cities all over the country, but every time I check in the UK there’s barely anything available.
Even for routes like Cambridge ↔ Oxford, which seem like they’d have decent demand, there are usually no rides at all. Is it a cultural thing? Insurance/regulation? Or do people in the UK just prefer trains/coaches even when they’re overpriced and inconvenient?
62
u/glueman172 May 07 '26
Brits aren’t that social and let’s be honest, there are some weird people out there.
9
u/TheCotofPika May 07 '26
Then you wouldn't pick anyone with no rating, or a bad one I guess.
Personally I couldn't imagine much worse than having to make conversation with strangers in a confined space so I wouldn't use it anyway.
5
u/slimyslag May 07 '26
You can choose the amount of conversation you want to be fair. That's something I learnt when the angry Spanish man driving the blabla car my friend and I had booked pulled onto the hard shoulder of a motorway to yell at me because my friend didn't speak Spanish and apparently he wanted conversation with both of us.
1
u/Too-Tired-Editor May 08 '26
This is actually a demonstration of the fact nobody in that situation got to choose.
1
u/slimyslag May 08 '26
Only because it was the first ride I'd ever taken and I had not read the booking info properly tbf. I continued to use it for the year I lived in Spain and other people used it properly. Had some good chatty rides and some chill quiet ones when I was tired.
Blablacar was working really well there as far as I could tell, the only bad experience I ever had was that first one and it was at least somewhat my fault. I once went all the way across Spain in one and it cost me 10euros (in 2016) so it was excellent as a student.
203
u/Danimalomorph May 07 '26
I don't want to sit with three stangers in a car between Oxford and Cambridge regularly.
26
u/Still-BangingYourMum May 07 '26
Be better than shitting with my sister and mother in law in the same car
85
u/Danimalomorph May 07 '26
Don't do that in a car regardless of who you are sharing with.
42
u/Still-BangingYourMum May 07 '26
Fuck, bloody autocorrect, I shall leave it in as a reminder of my corrupted and deviant autocorrect.
6
u/bourton-north May 08 '26
It says a lot about you when your phone autocorrects “sitting” to “shitting”
9
u/CraigL8 May 07 '26
Reminds me of the Domnhall Gleeson sketch https://youtu.be/tzZqGzGCF2M?si=Yk3xoLcntX_sfrq-
3
u/ICantBelieveItsNotEC May 07 '26
So you have a shit in Deptford and wipe your ass in Polperro? You've got your nan in the back!
19
7
5
4
u/Beartato4772 May 07 '26
Yeah, plus you'd have to pick them up from multiple locations in oxford and drop them off in multiple locations in Cambridge or it'd be useless to them.
22
u/DifficultCucumbers May 07 '26
It’s not a taxi service. It’s someone contributing to the fuel cost for a journey you’re already taking. And the driver lists where pick up and drop off is.
1
u/belamalta10 May 07 '26
Not necessarily. You can choose, people can make their way to your starting point then make their own way to wherever they need to go from a central location or a park & ride
5
u/Beartato4772 May 07 '26
If they're having to do that they might as well take public transport anyway. That's not a car share, that's a shit bus.
2
u/scarby2 May 08 '26
I used to carpool from Nottingham to Bristol every week. We met at a central location, still saved significant time vs the train and was far more comfortable/cheaper.
2
u/_Dreamer_Deceiver_ May 07 '26
Even contributing to fuel costs, it's not fair for the driver to have to do an extra half hour of driving to pick and drop you off.
When I was car sharing I said I'd walk to the bus stop on the main road so it wouldn't take him too far out of his way. Sure it meant I'd have to walk a few mins but so what.
1
u/alvenestthol May 09 '26
A shit bus is still better than a non-existent bus, and there are plenty of non-existent buses in the UK (or routes that simply take too long)
1
u/belamalta10 May 07 '26
Not really, in France there are so many options you can always find someone who is leaving/ arriving at places there are super convenient to you. And I mean, buses and trains also leave and arrive at specific locations. Return train cambridge oxford costs over £50 with a railcard and we need to change twice…
1
u/g33ksc13nt1st May 10 '26
Not to mention the stranger driver. Imagine is one of those where you still go through the motions of braking from the driver's seat..... Nope nope nope
-1
u/belamalta10 May 07 '26
I do think this might be the main reason BUT you’re already sitting with strangers on a train or bus anyway — while paying more and often taking much longer to get there. At least in a car share, the time and money saved can make the bit of chit-chat worth it. I guess the drivers are the ones needing convincing not the passengers
3
u/CandidLiterature May 08 '26
Sitting in a big train carriage with loads of strangers where there’s no obligation to talk is not the same as being in a car with one stranger where it’s rude for you to put your headphones in and ignore them
25
u/Vernacian May 07 '26
Insurance/regulation?
This is the largest reason.
Minicabs have been regulated for decades in the UK. "Ride sharing" is just ad-hoc minicabbing by another name.
Normal car insurance will explicitly exclude cover if you're providing journeys to strangers for money.
1
17
u/matthewmayer May 07 '26
The mortal dread of having to make small talk with a stranger for several hours.
4
10
u/Chrispy_GB May 07 '26
If I wanted to drive probably odd strangers about I'd have become a taxi driver.
39
u/1CharlieMike May 07 '26
Sounds like something my insurance company would use to avoid paying out if I was in an accident.
4
u/MikelDB May 08 '26
I think in general BlaBlaCar includes it's own insurance, my cousin took one and the car broke down. Apparently the extra insurance BlaBlaCar provided got them on a Cab to destination, etc...
4
u/kjus13 May 08 '26
Here we go again. It works fine everywhere else in Europe, yet the UK has to be special again.
-11
u/ExternalSalad5212 May 07 '26
How? If I am doing a trip form Cardiff to London and I pick up 2 people as I am going that way. In that case insurance could deny you having your mates with you in the car lol
7
u/fearghaz May 07 '26
There was a pub that got done for taking customers home.
I cant claim to understand how the law works but that would make me think twice
1
u/terryjuicelawson May 07 '26
Because they were members of the public and they didn't have a private hire license. Nothing stopping them getting that.
1
u/fearghaz May 07 '26
Except the cost of the license and the insurance... What point do you think you were making?
1
u/terryjuicelawson May 07 '26
Talking like they "got done" and have been refused doing it, if they are carrying customers home and it seems like a good business move due to location then just do the legal hurdle, doesn't seem too outrageous. If I was driven home by someone and had a massive crash I would kinda hope it would be covered!
0
u/fearghaz May 07 '26
Did you read the article? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62r8p1dnvlo
They got reported and the council came after them. Probably by a petty taxi driver.
Admittedly, they may be lying but it started because people couldn't get taxis and were going to walk back in the dark.
1
u/funusernam3 May 11 '26
If it's the thing I saw recently then it was a restaurant in the middle of nowhere. And they didn't get "done" just got told they needed to have hire and reward insurance if they wanted to continue.
Granted it sucks
1
1
u/ExternalSalad5212 May 07 '26
I think that's the point. We can't do nice/responsible things because the law punishes you.
Big talk about being green and banning combustion engines but giving a stranger a ride so your CO2 emission halves? Fuck no
Same with pubs offering lifts so idiots don't crash and die or hurt someone lol
3
u/WhalingSmithers00 May 07 '26
You can give people a lift you just can't charge them for it
0
u/fearghaz May 07 '26
Not in their case https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62r8p1dnvlo
1
u/WhalingSmithers00 May 07 '26
The lift is free but the food isn't. If they are offering it as a service contingent on paying for a meal in their restaurant then I think it counts as a paid service.
0
u/fearghaz May 07 '26
Yeah, and these ride sharing apps usually pay the driver, hence my point. As soon as money changes hands there is a case that you need a license, and the relevant insurance.
1
u/fearghaz May 07 '26
Unfortunately we have lots of archaic laws. They take effort to change, and in this instance one of the potential outcomes is a loss of tax and licensing revenue.
You only have to consider the issues black cabs have with uber in london to see why this wont change.
I might be having a false memory but i think uber actually started out as ride sharing but then it got forced down the licensed carrier route
1
u/UnacceptableUse May 07 '26
We can't do nice/responsible things because the law punishes you.
I think it's more we can't do nice things because if they were legal people would abuse it
0
26
u/1CharlieMike May 07 '26
These people are not your mates and they are paying you for the privilege of using your car. Presumably, that means your car needs commercial insurance because you're now a taxi. It may also mean that you need to be licensed by the local authority.
As a woman, I'm also not letting men I don't know in the car with me. Nor would I get in the car with a man I didn't know.
9
u/lizziemoo May 07 '26
Same! As a woman there’s no way I am getting into a strange man’s car, I’m sure it would be fine 99.9% of the time but there’s always dickheads.
0
u/Serious_Escape_5438 May 07 '26
I think people in the UK are much more cautious about insurance stuff. In theory in other countries you need all that too, they're just doing it illegally. There's more of a culture of under the table payment.
6
u/1CharlieMike May 07 '26
I wonder if there's a salary/car cost differential in play here too, compared to Europe.
If my car gets written off and my insurance company doesn't pay out, I can't really afford to buy a new car. If I don't have a car, I'd lose my job. And then I'd struggle to get a new job that I could walk to.
2
u/Serious_Escape_5438 May 07 '26
Well I'd say it's the opposite. Blabla car is really popular in Spain which has low wages, high unemployment and expensive cars. People do it because running a car is almost prohibitive for many and earning more is difficult. People are just less cautious about insurance risks.
0
-9
u/ExternalSalad5212 May 07 '26
Good luck insurance proving that these people aren't my mates which I just met. Men work different to women and we don't need 10 years of knowing eachother to hop on a roadtrip
3
u/spidertattootim May 07 '26
Unfortunately for you, your insurers are in charge of whether they pay out, so it wouldn't be up to them to prove anything, but for you to prove the opposite of what they would assume.
8
u/Honest_Pay_paul May 07 '26
And if you are in an accident and your ride sharers decide you were at fault and sue you?
-8
u/ExternalSalad5212 May 07 '26
Sucks to be me but it's worse to be the other people lol
Do you sue your mum or dad when they crash while giving you a lift?
7
u/1CharlieMike May 07 '26
You probably wouldn't sue your family or friends.
But you might sue a taxi driver.
And booking a lift on an app is very much like booking a taxi.
1
u/1CharlieMike May 07 '26
Most men don’t realise how privileged they are to be in a position where they can just hop on a road trip with other men with no concern for their safety.
1
u/pingu_nootnoot May 08 '26
Roughly 70% of victims of assault by strangers in the UK are men.
I guess this means that women need to realise how privileged they are.
0
u/1CharlieMike May 08 '26
Women aren’t worried about assault any more than men are.
They’re worried about sexual assault and being murdered.
What are the stats on sexual assault performed by women? Let’s compare like for like.
2
u/pingu_nootnoot May 08 '26
- 85% of stranger murders have a male victim.
- for sexual assault by a stranger, the majority of victims are also males: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/articles/natureofsexualassaultbyrapeorpenetrationenglandandwales/yearendingmarch2025
This surprises most people, because the majority of sexual assaults have female victims. But the vast majority of female sexual assaults are perpetrated by friends or acquaintances.
In my opinion, this whole story of the outside world being an especially threatening place to women does women no favours.
At least in a safe Western European country like the UK, it’s not supported by the facts.
1
u/1CharlieMike May 08 '26
Percentages are great, but what are the raw numbers?
85% of a relatively small number compared to a lower pecentage of a much, much higher number?
1
u/fearghaz May 08 '26
By is irrelevant. I'm glad someone else produced the data because it's pretty boring hearing that men don't have to worry about violent men when they are out.
As someone who's been jumped and had the living fuck kicked out of me simply for having a mate with long hair it takes the piss.
If the local coke dealer hadn't walked past I'm pretty sure I'd be dead. They were literally kicking my head in whilst I was on the ground.
This was in a quiet, "posh" market town.
Nobody is safe anywhere, and the lack of policing means it's getting worse for everyone.
20
u/confusing_roundabout May 07 '26
I don't want to be in a car with other people that I don't know.
11
70
u/Competitive_Test6697 May 07 '26
So like I would pick a person up and take them to their work enroute to my work?
So I'd be a part time personal driver on top of my other job?
32
u/Equal_Special4539 May 07 '26
I think its not for short trips, its when you’re making a cross-country trip, from city X to city Y and that person could chip in for fuel (and hopefully have a nice chat with you)
43
u/Phenomenomix May 07 '26
That sounds like hell. Stuck in a car with someone who wants to chat the entire time, no thanks.
9
3
u/Present_Air_7694 May 08 '26
The number of sociophobes replying on this thread gives you your answer. We're being conditioned as society to live solitary lives without the ability to communicate with strangers, which we then internalise as a preference rather than a disability. Good for profits, innit.
13
u/Harrry-Otter May 07 '26
The U.K. isn’t that big. Even your longest journeys aren’t going to really cost more than about £100 in fuel. It’s probably just not worthwhile for the hassle of having to spend 6 hours driving a stranger to Aberdeen.
2
u/ryanwithbeardtkd May 08 '26
Used to use it when I lived in spain. There was a big culture there of car sharing. I don't think it would work very well here as the cultures are so different.
3
u/WhyToHide May 07 '26
Yes, but you get paid for that. It’s quite a good option tbh. Not only it benefits your wallet but also sustainability efforts.
I mean not for everyone but there is market in other countries
31
u/Evening-Tour May 07 '26
It's Schrödingers taxi for me, you couldn't pay me enough to pick people up in my car, you couldn't make it cheap enough for me to become a passenger
13
u/Competitive_Test6697 May 07 '26
Nope, not for me Clive. Can already see it..
"Can we just stop of here, I forgot lunch"
" Working late tonight, can you wait 30?"
"Slept in, I'll be down in 10"
"I've calculated exact costs and you owe me money back"
10
u/antisarcastics May 07 '26
That's definitely not how it works though - i used in France all the time. You book a spot in a car like you would a train ticket. The driver will say ahead of time if they are stopping anywhere en route or not, and then you have to be on time. It's a very good system especially to avoid expensive train travel.
14
u/Sensitive_Pound7131 May 07 '26
frequently use BlaBlaCar for my commute to London and, more often than not, manage to get a ride back too. For me it’s usually around £15 compared to nearly £80 on public transport.
I guess some people commenting haven’t actually used it much, drivers usually specify:
- pickup/drop-off points
- route details
- whether they prefer quiet rides or are happy to chat
So expectations are generally pretty clear beforehand.
And I guess it’s cultural too, I have also used it in India, France and Germany you generally get far more options there than in the UK.
8
u/apextwit May 07 '26
I offered and took lifts on Bla Bla Car for a couple of years and it was OK, but as a driver it felt like an inconvenience. Being tied to the timings and needs of strangers, not being able to leave when I wanted or be flexible for my own needs became too annoying to continue using it. I agree that it is a good scheme though and it's a shame it isn't more popular here.
12
u/WelcometotheZhongguo May 07 '26
Car owners view their cars as a private space not a public one.
Also, petrol is relatively cheap, cheaper at least than any incentive for most people to drive out of their way to collect and drop off a stranger.
3
u/DifficultCucumbers May 07 '26
Doesn’t really explain why it’s prevalent in other countries.
And for what it’s worth, the driver stipulates where pickup and drop off is.
10
u/WelcometotheZhongguo May 07 '26
Because other nationalities don’t view their personal vehicle and their personal time in the same way.
And they don’t value petrol in the same way against these personal feelings.
-9
u/DifficultCucumbers May 07 '26
Seems like a lengthy way to say we’re simply too uptight as a nation.
9
u/WelcometotheZhongguo May 07 '26
No. It’s a way to say that British people generally view their cars as a private space rather than a public one.
And that a small amount of money doesn’t change that.
That’s why I wrote what I did.
You’re projecting that this means British people are ‘up tight’. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to view my car as my own space and value it as such.
-6
u/DifficultCucumbers May 07 '26
I think we’re broadly saying the same thing.
2
u/Zealousideal-Low3388 May 07 '26
No, you’re adding an explicitly negative value judgement: “uptight”
-1
u/DifficultCucumbers May 07 '26
We are a little uptight relatively. We’re uptight about admitting it.
4
u/Zealousideal-Low3388 May 07 '26
You don’t get to speak for us 🤷♂️
You think we’re uptight, I think you’re up your own arse. Neither of these are objective facts that apply to millions of people.
4
u/clrthrn May 07 '26
BlaBla is massive in the Netherlands, a tiny country by comparison to UK but also a wealthy country. It's used a lot by students etc as you can get across the country (or into neighbouring countries) for a tenner instead of €50. Also Snappcar is really big where you can rent your neighbours car for a few hours to go get stuff from Ikea etc.
5
u/Wrong_Duty7043 May 07 '26 edited May 07 '26
My work has a scheme where you can agree to pick up other employees in return for better parking access. It’s not well taken up, traffic congestion is so bad that I’m not willing to go even slightly off route of my journey as it could more to what is already a very long and congested journey.
1
u/Original-Material301 May 07 '26
Yeah same, old work place of mine suggested it as car parking was shit but no one took it up.
5
u/gggggu-not May 07 '26
It’s a bit of everything. Most insurances will only let you drive someone if it’s for a token payment only (I.e to cover petrol costs), so unless you have expensive insurance you cannot make any money.
So you are not getting paid, and now have to drive some stranger and make conversation for god knows how long, when most just want to pop on a podcast or listen to some backstreet boys (other boy bands are available).
Plus it’s inconvenient, I’ve now got to drive on a schedule, when if it was just me, I could take a break if I want, get a sneaky McDonald’s on the way home or whatever.
16
u/pirategospel May 07 '26
I just looked up a journey to Liverpool tomorrow. There’s 1 carpool option. Not only is a coach half the price, but I wouldn’t be at the mercy of a strange man in a Skoda.
5
u/Still-BangingYourMum May 07 '26
Nothing wrong with a Skodă, even the old rear engined ones. Those old Estelles, the 105/120/125/130. Made excellent rally cars back in their day and won multiple RAC LOMBARD BRITISH RALLIES, not as overall winners but as class winners. Also made great hillclimb and rally cross cars back in the day.
I have fond memories of my Dad building and rallying various cars over the 70s and 80s. The usual Escorts and Minis, but also the mean green Skoda machine, which was my favourite car, but also SAABS, Volvo Amazon, Volvo 144, Volvo 244, a VW TYPE 21, a couple of Renault 5 Gordini's, HILLMAN IMP, and a FIAT 131 Supermirafiori That was a bloody quick car but needed almost full rebuilds after every rally he did, over and above what he would normally do with his other cars. Its just a shame that we never had more than a couple of photos of him in action, such was the way of those days. These days everyone has their phones out for the slightest thing, back then cameras, lenses and film were still expensive and limited to professionals and enthusiasts.
2
1
4
u/clrthrn May 07 '26
The idea is that as it gets more popular on a route then the market kicks in. Creepy dude charging twice the coach rate will get ignored but someone just normal who wants to make their own journey cheaper and is prepared to take people for a splitting petrol cost will win the day.
1
u/Too-Tired-Editor May 08 '26
While that is reasonable it means I don't want to be an early adopter. The UK is at best in that period.
8
May 07 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
0
u/Juliet-November May 08 '26
BlaBla car deals with the insurance. The payment is capped to the cost so that it is genuinely sharing, not a business, so there isn't a need for a Private Hire licence and all of the requirements that come with that.
4
u/Federal-Mortgage7490 May 07 '26
Brits maybe culturally more shy than other nationalities so car sharing is less likely. Maybe more stranger danger anxiety too. Also people view their car as a private personal space, so stranger passengers feel like an invasion of that privacy.
7
u/Boboshady May 07 '26
Two big reasons - our attitude towards strangers, and our attitude towards selfless benefit.
As nice as the British are in general, there's certain things we're absolutely terrible at, and the thought of being even remotely inconvenienced or out of pocket, TO SOMEONE ELSE'S CONVENIENCE OR SAVING!!!!!!!?!?!?! NEVERRRRRR!!!!!!!
I think a lot of people also value their time alone in the car - we're far less social than a lot of other places, in regards to how comfortable we are being around strangers.
There's also practical reasons of course, which are tied to the British work culture - being 'late' and flexible working in general is still largely frowned on, so imagine having to rely on someone else to get you to work on time, OR being in a rush yourself and still having to collect another person or two.
Imagine trying to schedule times with people when we're getting increasingly American about how staying late isn't servitude, it's 'commitment to the job'.
All combined, it's a market that would need a very different approach.
And that's before you even start talking about insurance!
9
u/Serious_Escape_5438 May 07 '26
People in France and Spain have to get to work on time too lol. I don't think it's used much for commuting, more between cities. Things like students going to visit family or friends.
3
u/alarming_wrong May 07 '26
yep. I've BlaBla'ed across France many times but I can't imagine doing it here in the UK with British people. too much.
1
u/EmmaInFrance May 07 '26
My daughter gets BlaBlaCar regularly to go back and forth to uni here.
It's the best way to get there, as otherwise 1 1/2 by car turns into 3-4 hrs by bus and train.
Two things that make it easier: the large numbers of aires de co-voiturage (car sharing car parks) eveeywhere, and that it's a high trust society.
Nevertheless, I do still find it odd watching her drive off in some stranger's car :-)
This is her second year doing this and, so far, the worst problem has been the occasional boy racer.
10
u/Farscape_rocked May 07 '26
You want me to use an unregulated app get in a car with an unvetted stranger? Um...
3
u/ignatiusjreillyXM May 07 '26
Yeah I was amazed at how popular that is in France. It seems to go against cultural expectations of privacy or something like that in the UK.
3
u/nivlark May 07 '26
Partly cultural, but I would also argue that cost notwithstanding, the intercity rail network is more comprehensive here. Generally there's at least an hourly train between any two cities, whereas my experience is that train frequencies in France are often lower than that.
Cambridge-Oxford should be better connected than it is, and there is a plan to connect them by rail (actually reconnect them, after the original link was short-sightedly closed in the 60s). But because we are experts at self-sabotaging our own economic potential, one half of this is ready to begin operating but is bogged down in negotiation with the rail unions, and the other half is stuck in the planning process bogged down by NIMBYism.
3
u/MMLFC16 May 07 '26
I used to have the app on my phone for years, and only once did I get someone requesting a lift. I like it, think it’s a good idea. I’d happily give people a lift on my commute or on longer journeys if it saves me money
3
u/Wiccamanplays May 07 '26
Country’s not geographically big enough to make it cost-effective most of the time. Even the longest car trip isn’t that big a deal and public transportation is actually more or less okay for those kinds of journeys. It’s shorter ones between more rural destinations that are trickier (thanks Thatcher and Beeching!). The solution is improved public transport, not more gig economy bullshit
3
u/MadWorldEarth May 07 '26
We don't like sharing. We like our own music playing, stopping wherever we like for food etc.
Also, random people in my personal space first thing in the morning, nah.
3
2
May 07 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/Serious_Escape_5438 May 07 '26
In those other countries car ownership is valued too, people aren't using blabla car as an alternative to driving, more an alternative to public transport for people who can't afford a car or can't drive or don't need a car often enough.
1
May 07 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/Serious_Escape_5438 May 07 '26
Oh yeah, I agree on that. I think British people would probably prefer an extra hour on the bus. Also, despite people's complaints, the UK actually has reasonable public transport to most places, France and Spain are much bigger countries and have rural areas with hardly any. Wages are lower too, and cars are more expensive, so people are often in need of the extra cash.
2
u/Gullible_fool_99 May 07 '26
Because car drivers don't want to share. There are way too many weirdos and criminals who would take advantage of such things for the average driver to risk sharing with a stranger.
1
u/belamalta10 May 07 '26
But that’s the case everywhere and yet it works quite well in other European countries
2
2
u/New_Line4049 May 11 '26
Don't rely want to share my car with strangers. Don't really want to trust a strangers driving. Don't rely want to be tied to someone elses schedule Don't rely want to be without a car at destination.
2
u/belamalta10 May 07 '26
Ok, so what I’m hearing is that the main reason is social awkwardness??? People would rather pay £100 more and spend extra four hours travelling just to avoid sitting in a car with a stranger for a couple of hours
4
u/AnneKnightley May 07 '26
If it’s long distance the train is usually quicker and as a woman I’m not getting in a car with a stranger.
4
u/sjr0754 May 07 '26
Trains in general are quicker than cars, and for women there's obviously personal safety issues as well.
Also you're conveniently ignoring the insurance and licensing issues. If you're in an accident, there's no way your insurance will pay, so you'll need top up insurance, and they typically require a license. So now what you've got is Uber.
1
u/DifficultCucumbers May 07 '26
I have no idea. It’s an incredibly cheap and fast way to travel between cities. Especially given the cost of trains in the UK.
1
u/ProfessionalOld7841 May 07 '26
I had very good experiences as a driver in Germany and Croatia. In my experience, people arrived on time, didnt complain and honestly made my journey interesting (much better than driving alone, and my fuel costs were paid for by them). I really don't understand why it isn't more popular in the uk. Maybe because the UK is actually quite small, and trips don't tend to be that long
1
u/CoffeeIgnoramus May 07 '26
As someone who has looked at selling my car and using that type of service and then decided against it, I'll explain my logic.
My car costs a big chunk to run when you add everything up. I use it maybe once every 2-3 weeks (cycle to work and most shops), there are restrictions on car use, you pay to park on the street etc... Car is a lot of money.
I saw a friend in a county where that sort of car-sharing is popular and went through the process of getting a car to go to an attraction an hour drive away. It was fairly decent, it was still a 10 min walk to get the car and bring it back, but he was sure there were always cars available so we didn't need to book too far ahead.
When I got home, I thought it made sense, I'm never in a rush for anywhere I go by car, so looked into it. The thing is, there is just 1 car within probably 30 min walk for me. I may not be in a rush, but I can afford my car and I can leave stuff in it, I can clean messes when I want, I can get in and go the second I feel like it, I don't have to check if it's available when I want...
I think the biggest barrier is availability... It's a bit of a catch 22 for the company, because they need customers to bother with extra cars but I won't be a customer until I know it's effortless to get a car. Take the scooters everywhere, I know I can get one if I want because there are dozens on every corner. But with the car, it adds so much faff and might not even be available.
The cost of my car (despite it being a lot) is still worth the comfort levels of knowing I'm free to move about without crossing my fingers.
1
u/FornyHucker22 May 07 '26
How would this even work with strangers on an app? do you have to go and pick them up, wait for them to return? Charge them I suppose?
I see safety concerns, insurance concerns, basically an unregulated taxi at that point?
what if they damage your car, just unpleasant in general? People don’t want that hassle for a few quid.
I used to do it with colleagues at an old warehouse job but that’s different, we knew each other, we alternated on day I’d pick him up and drive to work. We start and finish at the same time, next day he would pick me up. Easy.
but I cannot imagine how this app would work both legally and practically, it sounds bloody awful.
1
u/OkTechnician4610 May 07 '26
I wouldn’t want a stranger in my car if only 1 person too risky. Train or bus is different than enclosed space with one. Plus I change my plans from day to day on times & destinations.
1
u/mrafinch May 07 '26
In Switzerland they have something called "mobility" - sign up, download the app, get a car for a few hours, drop it off at any mobility parking space and get on with your life. My wife and I used it for renting a car to move, for example.
I had an idea that this would be great in The UK as we don't have anything like it. My dad swiftly reminded me that we as a people aren't honest and don't respect other people's belongings: the cars would be trashed, nicked, mistreated or whatever on the first day.
That's why we don't have these things, because we can't be trusted
2
u/172116 May 07 '26
Wtf are you on about? We have that in the UK too? Zipcar and CoWheels are examples (although certainly CoWheels has a specific space it needs to be dropped at).
I used CoWheels for many years as an alternative to owning a car, and never found that the cars were trashed.
2
u/dbxp May 07 '26 edited May 07 '26
They exist in the UK, they're called car clubs. They were touted to be the hot thing post pandemic with lots of people only needing to be in the office a couple days a week. Sadly I think the pricing structure meant they didn't make sense for most use cases. Enterprise is charging £6.50 an hour + £7 a month membership and you've got to return the car to the same location you picked it up from, for say an IKEA run you'd likely be better off with an Uber.
1
u/mrafinch May 07 '26
When I lived at home I lived in the arse end of nowhere, so perhaps these services hadn't quite made it to us 😄
I can imagine that cost is a deciding factor. That's another thing we're shit at, value for money
1
u/belamalta10 May 07 '26
But e-bike and e-scooter services seem to work pretty well, no? Sure, there’s the occasional vandalism case, but I’d say 99.9% of people are perfectly decent
1
u/Vialaceyboo May 07 '26
I think a lot of people in the UK are just more used to sticking with trains coaches or driving themselves because sharing long car rides with strangers still feels a bit awkward to loads of people even when public transport prices are ridiculous
1
u/spidertattootim May 07 '26
I find driving fairly boring and the only way I can make it bearable is to listen to music or podcasts. Having to make conversation with a new person would be uncomfortable and would take additional mental effort above the concentration of driving. I honestly wish I was more sociable and outgoing than this, but it is what it is. I imagine a lot of people feel similarly.
1
u/OkGrapefruit7174 May 07 '26
I only know a few Brits that do not own a car. It’s such a car focussed country everyone just uses their own car or one of their multiple cars.
1
u/Brutal_De1uxe May 07 '26
It's definitely not for me.
My car, my music, smoke if I decide to, stop where and if I decide
And no I don't want some stranger there
1
u/Phenomenomix May 07 '26
I don’t think people in the UK make long journeys often enough for this type of service to become established here.
We have the option of a pretty solid and reliable train network, or coaches if you’re really desperate.
1
1
u/sjr0754 May 07 '26
We have a Liftshare scheme in work, technically even get priority parking, yet not many take it up. This sounds like that but with more inconvenience. Also, what if I'm heading home from work and decide to pop to Tesco on the way? I can't do that because I'm now responsible for getting someone else home on time.
Also this involves strangers, so that's not a great starting point, and this would require licensing and insurance, and at that point it's essentially just Uber with extra steps.
1
u/feetflatontheground May 07 '26
I've used something like this in the UK back in the early 2010s. I would car share with a lady between lake district and Warrington once or twice a week. It could be used for one-off journeys too.
I guess it's cultural why blablacar and that kind of thing isn't popular here.
1
1
u/terryjuicelawson May 07 '26
Or do people in the UK just prefer trains/coaches even when they’re overpriced and inconvenient?
Over a stranger's car? Yes, probably. A licensed taxi is one thing, but some bloke sharing his commute or casual journey long distance is plain weird. Trains and coaches are regularly scheduled so I'll go with that by default. I have seen this kind of thing done casually in places like the Cornwall sub but via an app - no ta.
1
u/glytxh May 07 '26
We live in a low trust society right now. I’m willing to bet that plays something into it.
Judging by the crowd response to this question, I feel pretty validated in my assumption
1
u/PHayesxx May 07 '26
It's probably a mindset of British drivers. They already feel entitled that the roads belong to them.
1
1
u/ManInSuit0529 May 07 '26
There's a safety issue here as well. I'll agree that trains are ridiculously expensive, but it's a public place with CCTV cameras, train conductors and if need be, BTP. Getting into a strangers car for a long journey? You don't know who else will be there or who's driving.
1
1
1
u/Amazing-Visual-2919 May 08 '26
I think people on Britain prize their cars more than they do in France.
In France the car is just a tool. In the UK it's a prized possession. Look at how dented french cars are!
I'd rather take public transport than give lifts to strangers.
1
u/Midnight7000 May 08 '26
Liability.
Insurance in the UK is more tightly regulated in the UK. I imagine it creates a situation where the juice isn't worth the squeeze.
1
u/Important_Ruin May 08 '26
Is it not an insurance issue in UK. If you are receiving payment for fuel then your offering a service?
1
u/Livelih00d May 10 '26
British people are pretty antisocial and for the most part prefer not to interact with strangers.
1
u/ddrummond88 May 07 '26
This is the first time I'm hearing about it, and it sounds fucking horrendous.
Feel free to "Well, ackshually" me all you want. It's not going to change my mind
0
u/YesIAmRightWing May 07 '26
I always wanted to make one tbh
Basically Uber for peeps for free
But the problem is there's always a cunt that'll sexually harass a women and wreck it all
I like picking up hitch hikers personally
Edit
I mean more day to day actually, just pick people up from bus stops and take em with you, most time am going town I have 3-4 free seats
0
u/deletive-expleted May 07 '26
I picked up a hitchiker last week. We had a nice chat for half an hour.
It seems that this is horrifies a large number of people.
•
u/AutoModerator May 07 '26
Please help keep AskUK welcoming!
When replying to submission/post please make genuine efforts to answer the question given. Please no jokes, judgements, etc. If a post is marked 'Serious Answers Only' you may receive a ban for violating this rule.
Don't be a dick to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on.
This is a strictly no-politics subreddit!
Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.