If you have the option, carpooling is a great way to get to work faster, share gas expenses, and help save the environment. As great as carpooling is, getting into a car with coworkers or friends isn’t always an option. A lot of people prefer to drive to work on their own, and sometimes finding people who are going in your direction just isn’t possible. Now, there’s an app for that.

Zebigo is a new ridesharing/carpooling app that makes finding people in your area a cinch. This app gathers information, and matches riders with drivers. Sound unsafe? Zebigo has safety concerns covered too. Drivers can choose to only ride with passengers who have passed a Lexis-Nexis background check. This will ensure that the passenger you’re picking up is not a serial killer or hasn’t served time for any serious offenses.

How to Use Zebigo

For the time being, Zebigo is only available to Washington residents. The app has been tested throughout the Washington area for a few months now, and the results have been promising. Results have been so promising that Zebigo hopes to expand to other U.S. markets within the next year or so.

If you happen to live in Washington (or want to wait for the app to reach your state), you can head to the Zebigo website, sign up for an account, opt to go through a background check, and you’ll be matched with a driver in no time. Zebigo hopes that this service will cut down on daily commutes, but the app developers also hope that Zebigo will aide those people who are traveling to and from concerts and other big events.

Costs

Zebigo developers figured (quite rightly) that drivers had to be compensated in some manner for signing up for the carpooling service. That’s why passengers must pay for partial gas consumption through Zebigo (a cashless system) in addition to a $.49 fee (this goes to Zebigo). According to the company website, a 13-mile trip will cost passengers around $5.

There’s no doubt that public transportation is still the cheapest way to get from point A to point B. But, hitching a ride from a driver who has signed up through Zebigo is certainly cheaper than hopping into a taxi cab. Also, some people who live in remote areas may not have the option to take public transport, and Zebigo works particularly well for these people.

Safety Concerns

As mentioned, passengers and drivers can choose to go through a background check. This background check will pull up any criminal records, but it doesn’t include any driving information. Whether or not someone has a valid driver’s license or insurance isn’t included in the Zebigo background check.
It’s also important to point out that going through a background check is entirely optional.

If you come across a passenger or driver who has not gone through a background scan, it is the opinion of this reviewer that you should look for another passenger or ride. As innovative as the Zebigo app is, safety must be considered above all else. If you find a driver or passenger in your area who has gone through a background check, this new app may be the best way for you to get where you’re going.