Understanding carpooling/ridesharing RideAlong facilitates carpooling or ridesharing, where drivers offer their available seats to passengers heading in the same direction and share the trip costs without making a profit.

It is important to note that carpooling/ridesharing on RideAlong is distinct from ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft. Ride-hailing services provide on-demand transportation, where passengers request a driver to transport them from one location to another in exchange for financial compensation. Such services operate more like taxi services and fall under different legal regulations.

The legality of carpooling in Canada Carpooling regulations in Canada is governed at the provincial level. In general, provincial laws allow carpooling based on the following guidelines:

  1. The driver and passenger(s) share a trip with a common origin and destination.
  2. The driver does not exceed one return trip per day.
  3. The driver receives contributions towards trip costs and does not make a profit.
  4. The vehicle’s seating capacity does not exceed ten passengers.

To gain a comprehensive understanding of carpooling laws, please refer to the relevant articles in the provincial legislation for each Canadian province:

  • Alberta: Traffic Safety Act, p23
  • British Columbia: Passenger Transportation Act, section 1 (2)
  • Manitoba: Highway Traffic Act (Please consult local authorities or legal experts for specific carpooling information in Manitoba.)
  • New Brunswick: Motor Carrier Act, section 1
  • Newfoundland and Labrador: Motor Carrier Regulations, section 2 (j)
  • Northwest Territories: Motor Vehicles Act (Please seek local advice or consult authorities for carpooling regulations in the Northwest Territories.)
  • Nova Scotia: Motor Carrier Act, section 2 (l)
  • Ontario: Bill 213, Better for People, Smarter for Business Act, has replaced the Public Vehicles Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.54
  • Québec: Chapitre S-6.01 LOI CONCERNANT LES SERVICES DE TRANSPORT PAR TAXI, section 3°
  • Saskatchewan: Traffic Safety Act (Please consult local authorities or legal experts for specific carpooling information in Saskatchewan.)

RideAlong encourages its members to familiarize themselves with the carpooling laws applicable to their intended use of our service.