Travel tech
Here’s a budget ride-sharing app that connects drivers and passengers for long-distance travel.
Name: Tripda
Available: iOS, Google Play
Cost: Free
What it does: Connects passengers and drivers to share rides and expenses in 13 countries, including the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, India, Philippines, Uruguay and more.
What’s hot: If you are a fan of the sharing economy (you use AirBnB, Lyft, etc.), you can add this one to your list. I found rides from Boston to New York ($43), Los Angeles to San Francisco ($80) and Los Angeles to Santa Barbara ($19). Women drivers and passengers who are concerned about safety can select a “Ladies only” option. I also liked the pricing guide and easy-to-understand preferences for sharing a car with people who are chatty or quiet, are smokers or nonsmokers, travel with pets or no pets, etc.
What’s not: I wanted to see which rides I was missing out on but couldn’t find them anywhere. For example, I’d like to see the rides people are offering from my general area in the near future. If I could specify Los Angeles to “anywhere,” that would be pretty cool. I tried. It didn’t work.
Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times
This story was originally published February 15, 2015 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Travel tech."