Brome-Missisquoi is seeing a new spontaneous ride-sharing initiative called \u201cProject Caravane.\u201d<\/p>\n
Project Caravane is a citizen initiative that was formed a couple of years ago, but it was put on hold throughout the pandemic. The initiative involves setting up ride-sharing stops, similar to bus stops, at different hotspots throughout the region.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Each of these stops will have a sign written \u201cCovoiturage Spontan\u00e9\u201d (spontaneous ride-sharing) to show drivers that anyone standing there is seeking a lift through the ride-sharing initiative. The initiative is in its first phase of development, but Alexandre Legault, co-founder of Project Caravane, said that it\u2019s so far proving to be efficient.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat our group really wants to do is to bring solutions to one major issue we have here in the region and rural areas everywhere in Quebec. We are heavily dependent on our cars,\u201d said Legault. \u201cThat means it has become a major financial burden for us to get around, to go to work, to go to school, to do groceries or anything else since the price of fuel is really high. There is also the environmental cost of it.\u201d<\/p>\n While seeking alternatives, the group was inspired by similar initiatives in Europe.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat we don\u2019t have is spontaneous ride-sharing. We saw many initiatives in Europe, mostly in France, where they would use these systems in rural areas where people would meet up at these ride-sharing stops, which are basically like bus stops,\u201d explained Legault. \u201cWhen you go there, you expect someone to pick you up just like if you were hitchhiking, but it\u2019s a designated ride-sharing stop instead. That\u2019s what we are putting in place this summer.\u201d<\/p>\n The group is testing Project Caravane throughout the summer to see if it is something that is efficient and needed in the region. They have already put up signs in Sutton, Cowansville, Dunham, Frelighsburg, and Bedford.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe want to test how long it takes before someone picks you up and we have already tested it out in the past months. Now, in the last few weeks since the signs are up, it turns out it is efficient so far. Most of the time, people wait less than five minutes. Very rarely, less than 10 per cent of the time, it is less than 10 minutes,\u201d mentioned Legault.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n From the feedback they have received so far, Legault noted that people are more than willing to pick up a passenger.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere are many cars on the road already and we figured out that a lot of drivers will pick you up even if you aren\u2019t related to the initiative. (\u2026) We have older people telling us, \u2018I used to to get around by hitchhiking when I was your age.\u2019 Turns out we just need passengers to test it out this summer to get more information,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Taking into consideration safety matters, Legault explained that they are setting up signs in safe locations for passengers and drivers and giving tips as to how to use the ride-sharing initiative properly. He also mentioned that feedback of the ride-sharing experiences will be published on Project Caravane\u2019s Facebook page and website to help people with their judgement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u2018It is something that we will keep working on as we want to eventually, maybe, develop an app in the next phase of the project that will give more safety to people, but someone told me something very important the other day,\u201d explained Legault. \u201cSomeone was telling me, we don\u2019t see hitchhikers anymore and it\u2019s not because it\u2019s not safe. If anything, it\u2019s safer since we all have phones in our pockets. It\u2019s not because it\u2019s not safe. It\u2019s because everyone has a car and back then it wasn\u2019t the case.\u201d<\/p>\n