Carpool to work
across Australia
Share the daily drive with verified commuters heading the same way. Cut fuel costs by up to 75%, skip the train transfer, and get door to door instead of station to station.
The commute tax
What Australians spend getting to work
Sydney
Daily commute
71 minutes
Fuel cost
$95/week
Melbourne
Daily commute
67 minutes
Fuel cost
$88/week
Brisbane
Daily commute
66 minutes
Fuel cost
$80/week
Perth
Daily commute
59 minutes
Fuel cost
$75/week
Adelaide
Daily commute
53 minutes
Fuel cost
$65/week
Source: ABS Commuting Survey 2024 averages and 2026 retail fuel prices. Share a car with three colleagues and your fuel cost drops by roughly 75%.
Why carpool to work
Built for the daily drive
Save thousands a year on fuel
A 50 km daily commute at $2.10/L fuel runs around $2,500 a year. Split it with three passengers and your share drops to about $625. Keep the rest.
Share the driving
Rotating drivers means you only drive one or two days a week. Less fatigue, fewer parking fees, fewer distracted highway minutes.
Skip the transit transfer
Buses and trains drop you at the station. A commuter carpool drops you at the office. Door to door, every time.
Recurring rides
Set up a recurring carpool with the same driver each week. No re-booking, no uncertainty. Your seat is reserved until you cancel.
Verified profiles
Every driver and passenger can verify identity with a government ID and a selfie. Look for the blue tick on profiles. Ratings are visible before you commit.
Employer-friendly
Some Australian employers offer carpool incentives, free parking, or salary packaging for commuters. Check with HR if your workplace participates.
How it works
Set up a recurring commute
Find a recurring ride on your route
Search for rides from your suburb to your workplace suburb. Filter by the days you commute (Mon-Fri, or a specific mix).
Book a week, a month, or one day
Choose a single day to try it, or subscribe to a weekly recurring seat with the same driver. Payments go through Stripe automatically.
Message the driver, coordinate pickup
Use in-app messaging to confirm pickup time, location, and any weekly changes. Most commuter drivers pick up a consistent spot near your home.
Swap seats when your plans change
Need a day off? Cancel that day from your subscription. No charge if you cancel more than 12 hours before.
Recurring rides
Post once, drive every week
A recurring ride is a single schedule that publishes itself as individual rides for the weekdays you choose. Built for the same trip, every week, without you re-posting.
Pick your weekdays
Tap Repeat when posting and select any combination of Monday to Sunday. Set a start date, and an optional end date if your commute is seasonal.
Each date posts itself
RideMates rolls out the next 30 days of rides automatically. Passengers see and book each date individually, so a colleague can grab Tuesdays only while another rides every weekday.
Cancel a single day or the whole series
Working from home Friday? Cancel just that date. Going on leave? Cancel the series and we'll show you exactly how many passengers will be refunded before you confirm.
Monthly keep-it-going check-in
Once a month we'll send a quick push asking if you're still driving. Tap Keep going and your schedule rolls on. Tap Cancel and everything future-dated is wound up cleanly.
By city
Commuter carpools in every Australian capital
Tap a city to see popular commuter routes and current suburbs covered.
FAQ
Commuter carpool questions
Is there an Australian carpool app for commuting to work?
Yes. RideMates is built for Australian commuting. Drivers post recurring weekday rides and passengers can subscribe or book individual days. Rides cover every capital city and major regional centre.
How does a commuter carpool work?
One or more drivers offer seats in the car they're already taking to work. Passengers book a seat through the app and pay at booking. Many drivers run recurring morning and evening rides with the same passengers each week.
How much can I save carpooling to work?
A 50 km round-trip commute at $2.10/L fuel costs roughly $2,500 a year in fuel alone. Splitting with three passengers drops each person's share to around $625, saving around $1,875 annually per rider.
Can I set up a recurring commute carpool?
Yes. Drivers tap Repeat when posting a ride, pick the weekdays they drive (any combination of Mon to Sun), and set a start date. RideMates publishes the next 30 days of rides automatically and rolls forward as time passes. Passengers can book a single day, multiple days, or every weekday.
What happens if I need to skip a week or cancel the whole series?
You can cancel a single date without affecting the rest of the schedule. To wind down the whole series, the cancel-series flow shows you the total number of passengers booked across all upcoming dates and the exact refund amount before you confirm. Passengers are refunded automatically through Stripe.
Will my recurring ride run forever?
Only as long as you confirm it. Every month RideMates sends you a push asking whether you're still driving the route. Tap Keep going to roll on, or Cancel series to wind it up. This stops stale schedules from publishing rides nobody intends to drive.
What if my carpool driver is sick or unavailable?
Drivers cancel the ride through the app and passengers receive an automatic refund. You can then look for an alternative ride heading the same way.
Is it cheaper than a train or bus pass?
A Sydney Opal weekly cap is $50. Commuter carpools are typically $12 to $20 per seat per day. For daily commuters, a carpool is usually only cost-effective if you would otherwise drive solo or don't have a direct public transport option.
How is it different from Uber?
Uber is for one-off taxi-style trips. A carpool is a pre-arranged, shared commute with the same route each day. Drivers keep 100% of the fare they set, and the price is a fuel-split contribution, not a commercial fare.
Ready to hit the road?
Join thousands of Australians saving money, reducing emissions, and meeting great people on the road.