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How is HOVER different to traditional carpooling? >
Who decides who the driver is? >
How do I know it's safe to get into the car? >
Can I refuse a ride if I'm not comfortable? >
How do I know the person getting in my car is not a rapist or an axe murderer? >
What is a police check? >
Why should you get to see my police record? >
Doesn't RFID give off dangerous radiation? >
Won't my RFID tag make it easy for other organisations to track me? >
What rules will I have to follow as a member of the HOVER system? >
What is the incentive for the drivers to drive in the HOVER system? >
How do I sell my HOVER Ride Credits? >
How much will a HOVER Ride Credit cost? >
How do I get more HOVER Ride Credits? >
How do I actually pay for the HOVER Ride Credits if I need to buy them? >
How do I actually get the cash if I sell HOVER Ride Credits? >
How much will I get paid, or pay, for my HOVER Ride Credits? >
Will the price of a HOVER Ride Credit stay the same always? >
Will people be able to play the HOVER Ride Credit Market like a stock market? >
Is there a membership application fee? How much is it? >
Is there an annual membership fee? How much is it? >
Is there a cost of using the system, other than the HOVER Ride Credits? How much is it? >
After all those fees, will I save any money? If so, how much? >
How much emissions will I save if I participate in HOVER? >
How will I get a Guaranteed Ride Home if I need one, and who will provide it? >
How do you make sure people don't take advantage of the Guaranteed Ride Home service? >
How is HOVER different to traditional carpooling?
There are three major obstacles to success with traditional carpooling:
1. The personal overhead (effort) of arranging it, finding a partner, etc
2. The inflexibility of it once you have set it up, needing to conform to someone else's schedule
3. The challenge of keeping it fair between the participants: sharing the driving, paying each other money, etc, or keeping track.
HOVER removes all three obstacles by having a one time membership process, no requirement for preplanning participation, a backup 'get you home' system, and the HOVER Ride Credit system to reward people for what they do. Top>
Who decides who the driver is?
On arriving at the HOVER Park, each person can see what the traffic is doing, and right then decide to be a driver or a rider. Some people, say those who have a free parking space at work, or need their car during the day, might only ever want to drive. Some people, probably those who pay for parking at the destination, might only ever want to be a passenger. Others might be happy to ride or drive, depending on what is needed on the day. So each person makes their own decision about whether to be a driver or a rider, and they can see if there are riders waiting or drivers waiting. Those who choose to be drivers then drive down the driving lane. Top>
How do I know it's safe to get into the car?
You have to use your own judgment. Make sure it is a 'HOVER Car' (look for the decal and the RFID tag). Ask to see the driver's membership card (photo ID). Don't get in on your own (rule is, always two passengers). We do what we can to ensure that everyone is checked out before they get their ID cards, and also that people don't give them to other people. But you still have to make your own judgment.
And if you are going to break the two passenger rule, as a lone passenger don't get into a car with a person of the opposite sex. Top>
Can I refuse a ride if I'm not comfortable?
Yes, you can always decline a ride and get into the next (or the next) vehicle. Top>
How do I know the person getting in my car is not a rapist or an axe murderer?
Of course, we can never be absolutely sure of this. We will do our best to ensure that everyone is checked out before they get their ID cards. This will involve a membership application form, and an appropriate approval process. This approval process might be different in different places, and yours will be advised to you when you apply. You will have to go through it, and will know everyone else has. We recommend two personal references and a police check. Top>
What is a police check?
You make a statement on your application form that says something like: "I do not have any record of dangerous driving, nor any record of violent crime or theft'. We then pass that statement, with you personal ID details, to the police. They advise us whether their records show anything that is not consistent with this statement. So we don't see your police record, just confirmation that your statement is true. Top>
Why should you get to see my police record?
We don't get to see your police record. What we get is confirmation that your statement on your application form, that you don't have any record of dangerous driving, violent crime, or theft, is a true statement. Top>
Doesn't RFID give off dangerous radiation?
Firstly the level of radiation will be substantially less than is given off by a cell phone. Secondly both your membership card and your car tag will only be 'active' for very short periods of time (a few seconds) when triggered. See below. Top>
Won't my RFID tag make it easy for other organisations to track me?
Your membership card will only be activated when you want it to be, mainly as you get into a HOVER car. You will squeeze the card to make it active. Your Car Tag will only be active when triggered in the entrance or exit area of the HOVER Park or HOVER Port, or near a HOVER Point. It will only be able to be triggered by our technology, and will stay active for only a few seconds. When not active it will not be able to be tracked by anyone. Top>
What rules will I have to follow as a member of the HOVER system?
There are very few rules. Most of them are common sense.
. No smoking in cars
. Always at least two passengers
. Show your ID, don't wait to be asked
. No eating in cars
There are some protocols that we ask people to observe. For example:
. The driver gets to choose the radio station
. Conversation is encouraged, but avoid contentious subjects
. Avoid wearing strong perfumes/fragrances
. Ask before bringing coffee or other drinks into a car
. Take all your belongings, including empty drink containers, with you when you leave the car
. No long cellphone conversations Top>
What is the incentive for the drivers to drive in the HOVER system?
1. The driver gets a HOVER Ride Credit from each passenger. These can be used in future for rides, or sold for cash.
2. Where there are HOV lanes, or other priority measures for HOV's such as bypassing ramp meters, the driver will get a faster trip. Top>
How do I sell my HOVER Ride Credits?
Three ways:
1. You can sell them in person to other members, and then go online and transfer them to the other member.
2. You can go online and trade them in the HOVER Ride Credit Market, where you decide the price you are prepared to accept.
3. You can tell us to trade them automatically, in which case we will sell them at the market price whenever the number you have exceeds the sale threshold. Then we will sell them all except the minimum that you want to keep. Top>
How much will a HOVER Ride Credit cost?
The actual price will be set by a market between the drivers and riders. If you get one from giving a ride you could say it cost you nothing. But we expect them to trade for about the price of a bus ticket for a similar route. Top>
How do I get more HOVER Ride Credits?
Three ways
1. You can buy them in person from other members, and they have to go online and transfer them to you.
2. You can go online and buy them in the HOVER Ride Credit Market, where you decide the price you are prepared to pay.
3. You can tell us to buy them automatically for you whenever your supply falls to a preset level. We will then buy an agreed quantity at the market price. Top>
How do I actually pay for the HOVER Ride Credits if I need to buy them?
You will have a financial account with us. This will be managed online, and you will have to keep it 'in funds' (like a prepay). When you buy HOVER Ride Credits the cost will be deducted from your account. We will email you any time there are insufficient funds. Top>
How do I actually get the cash if I sell HOVER Ride Credits?
You go online and select 'withdraw funds' and specify an amount. As long as you have those funds in your financial account, we will pay them into the bank account that you have previously told us to make payments to. Top>
How much will I get paid, or pay, for my HOVER Ride Credits?
The members who drive the route will collectively decide the value of the HOVER Ride Credits for that route. They will do this by a 'bid and ask' system, where the people who have them will put in an 'ask' price, and the people who want them will put in a 'bid' price. The ones that match will automatically be traded, and the price that they trade at will be the market. Top>
Will the price of a HOVER Ride Credit stay the same always?
No, the price will fluctuate like any market. It will be set by the people who are interested in actively trading in the market. It will be able to respond to changes like an increase in the price of petrol (gas) or new tolls, or faster routes opening up. It could change from day to day, but we expect it will be quite stable as long as other factors stay the same. Top>
Will people be able to play the HOVER Ride Credit Market like a stock market?
In theory, yes. But in reality, no. The main way we prevent this will be our rule against hoarding HOVER Ride Credits. No member will be allowed to have more than a set number (probably 15) HOVER Ride Credits for any one route in their account at any one time. When getting close to the maximum the member will receive an email. When at the maximum we will again tell the member to make a sale. If the maximum is exceeded we will sell on the member's behalf at the market price. Top>
Is there a membership application fee? How much is it?
This will be decided locally for each metropolitan area, and could change over time. We have provision in the system for a fee. The greater the fee the less people will want to apply. Such a fee would cover the cost of processing applications. Top>
Is there an annual membership fee? How much is it?
This will be decided locally for each metropolitan area, and could change over time. We have provision in the system for a fee. The greater the fee the less people will want to be members. Such a fee might contribute to the annual fixed costs of the local operations. Top>
Is there a cost of using the system, other than the HOVER Ride Credits? How much is it?
Yes. Each time you use the system (to give or get a ride) you will be charged a small service fee. This will be deducted from your financial account. It will contribute to the cost of providing the service. The amount of the fee will be decided locally for each metropolitan area, and could change over time. Top>
After all those fees, will I save any money? If so, how much?
We estimate that a person who uses the system every day, as a driver some days, as a rider some days, will save about $2,500 in tax paid costs per year. That is based on $9 per day parking and $0.50 per km ($0.83 per mile) running costs, with a round trip of 20km (12 miles). The above fees will be deducted from this saving. If the Service Fee was $1 per trip (twice per day) the service fee would be about $420 per year (assuming 210 days at work). The net saving would be $2,080 per year. (And that is 'after tax' money). Top>
How much emissions will I save if I participate in HOVER?
You will save your own emissions, and you will reduce emissions for everyone else as they will be able to travel that little bit faster with less idling. In total we estimate that each participant could be responsible for as much as 6 to 7 tonnes of emission reduction if active for a full year. Top>
How will I get a Guaranteed Ride Home if I need one, and who will provide it?
You will call us and we will arrange a ride for you. It will probably be a taxi. In some places you might be able to call the taxi yourself and charge it to HOVER. The cost will be covered by the system. Top>
How do you make sure people don't take advantage of the Guaranteed Ride Home service?
There will be a 'fair use policy'. Obviously it is for emergencies, and we will know if any member has an emergency on a regular basis. Experience in cities where this is provided is that it has a low cost for the perceived benefit of knowing there is a back-up system in place.
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