FAQ
- Where can I download the Covoiturage ARTM app?
- How do I create an account?
- I forgot my UserID
- I forgot my password
- What is the territory covered by Covoiturage ARTM?
- I searched or posted for a carpool, but no matches were found or no passengers joined my trip.
- What is the maximum number of people allowed per vehicle for this project?
- Can I book a trip for 2 people?
- Can I carpool with my family?
- How far ahead of time should I reserve my trip via the Covoiturage ARTM app?
- Can I see my Covoiturage ARTM app travel history?
- How do I cancel a reservation?
- Is there a minimum age to use the Covoiturage ARTM services?
- Is my car insurance affected by carpooling?
- Are pets or service animals accepted on board Covoiturage ARTM vehicles?
- How does the app know that I’m carpooling with my matched partner(s)?
- How much will I get paid for my trips as a driver?
- How much will I need to pay for a trip as a passenger?
- How is the Application fee calculated?
- When booking a trip as a passenger, two (2) prices are indicated for the Booking surcharge, is this normal?
- What is a Booking surcharge?
- What are the accepted payment methods?
- I have an invoice in the name of Rideshark.com that appears on my credit card, is this normal?
- An amount debited by Rideshark.com was billed to me and then credited. Why?
- What should I do if I’m not paid as agreed?
- I’m a passenger, and my payment was processed twice for the same trip. What should I do?
- Why choose to offer a financial incentive for trips that cross one of the four chosen roadway links (Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel, Jacques-Cartier bridge, Victoria bridge and Samuel-De Champlain bridge)?
- I want to withdraw the sums accumulated as a driver and the application offers me to open a PayPal account. Is this the only option to obtain my accumulated sums?
- I have not accumulated $15 to withdraw my earnings, how can I recover my earnings?
- Are my earnings as a driver taxable?
- If the driver is paid, what differentiates carpooling from remunerated passenger transportation like Uber or taxis?
- Who do I contact if I have a problem during my trip?
- I’m a passenger, and the driver I was going to travel with didn’t show up. What should I do?
- What is the guaranteed Ride home program?
- One of my trips didn’t go well. Who should I contact about it?
- I’m trying to download the Covoiturage ARTM app to my cellphone, but it isn’t working. What should I do?
- My app is not working, what should I do?
- How can I delete my account?
- Is my personal information (name, phone number, driver’s licence) visible to other users on the platform?
- How does Covoiturage ARTM work?
- How can I have a driver come pick me up near my home without having to give them my address?
- Can I choose my driver or passenger according to particular preferences?
- Does the app include a system for rating drivers and passengers like other transport apps?
Carpooling project: overall function
1. Where can I download the Covoiturage ARTM app?
The app is available for free on the App Store and Google Play.
2. How do I create an account?
Registering is simple. Follow these steps:
- First time users:
- Click on ‘Register Now’
- Enter your first name, family name and email address and create a password
- NOTE: Entering your work email address lets you match within your company.
- Enter your personal profile information
- Enter your address information, including:
- Home address
- Origin address (if different from your home address)
- Destination (work) address
- Define your travel schedule.
- Activate your account using the e-mail sent to you by Covoiturage ARTM.
- Login to search for potential matches.
3. I forgot my UserID
Your UserID is also your email address. If you are unsure which e-mail address you used, contact Covoiturage ARTM customer service at 1 833 allo-exo (1 833 255-6396).
Note that customer service is offered by our partner exo, Monday to Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and on public holidays.
4. I forgot my password
On the login page click on “Forgot your password?" Enter your email address and the password will be e-mailed to you. Enter your email address again and select the "Send password reset link by email" button. Follow the instructions in the email that will be sent to you.
5. What is the territory covered by Covoiturage ARTM?
Covoiturage ARTM is offered for internal travel within the ARTM territory. https://www.artm.quebec/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Carte_ARTM.jpg
6. I searched or posted for a carpool, but no matches were found or no passengers joined my trip.
Covoiturage ARTM was launched in the spring of 2023. As a new service, it is expected that it will take some time to mature, and for a community to exist within the app. In the meantime, we sincerely appreciate your participation and ask that you continue to post your trips as a driver or if you are a passenger please continue searching for potential matches.
7. What is the maximum number of people allowed per vehicle for this project?
For comfort reasons, a maximum of three (3) passengers and a driver are allowed. The total number of users allowed per vehicle is four (4) people.
8. Can I book a trip for 2 people?
Each account allows you to make a single reservation with the driver. If each of the passengers create an account on Covoiturage ARTM, it is possible to attempt to book the same trip via two (2) separate requests, one (1) for each passenger. It is not possible to book for 2 people with one account.
9. Can I carpool with my family?
You can. However, when using Covoiturage ARTM, passengers must pay the driver for the trip. This means you would have to pay a family member for a trip that could have otherwise been free.
10. How far ahead of time should I reserve my trip via the Covoiturage ARTM app?
The application tells you the time available to book a trip. The shorter the delay, the lower your chances of having your request accepted by a driver in time. The further ahead of time you reserve, the higher your chances of finding a match, because the driver must agree to carpooling with you. Your best bet is to reserve or post your trip as early as possible.
11. Can I see my Covoiturage ARTM app travel history?
Yes, your travel history is saved on the Dashboard and in the carpooling menu within the app under the “My Trips” tab.
You can cancel the match directly in the app by selecting in the main menu, “my trips”, then by selecting the trip you wish to cancel and selecting “Cancel ride" under the “Driver Trips” or “Passenger trips” section. Please note that if you cancel less than fours (4) hours ahead before your trip, you will not be fully refunded for the trip.
13. Is there a minimum age to use the Covoiturage ARTM services?
Yes, the minimum age for passengers is 16 years old. To be a driver, you need a valid class 5 driver’s licence, excluding the learner’s licence.
14. Is my car insurance affected by carpooling?
If you have any doubts, check with your insurance provider prior to initiating any carpool.
15. Are pets or service animals accepted on board Covoiturage ARTM vehicles?
It depends on your travel partners. When creating a profile, each driver and passenger can enter their preferences on whether or not they want to travel with animals. This will require validation when choosing a driver or accepting a passenger since the trip is occurring on a personal vehicle. Travel partners can change this element of their profile if the situation changes.
16. How does the app know that I’m carpooling with my matched partner(s)?
The application uses GPS tracking and Bluetooth pairing to ensure that two or more users are indeed carpooling together. This is why you must allow access to your phone's location services and keep the app running in the background at all times during your trips.
You must follow instructions such as “Head to the starting point” and “Pick up or disembark passengers”, “Drive to next stop”, “I have arrived”, “Pick up or disembark passengers”. You will then receive a message indicating that your trip is completed.
Financial questions
17. How much will I get paid for my trips as a driver?
See the “Financial Incentive” tab of the Covoiturage ARTM website.
18. How much will I need to pay for a trip as a passenger?
The contribution per passenger has been set at $0.12 per kilometre. This amount will be distributed as follows: 0.10$ per kilometer to the driver as an earning and 0,02$ per kilometer to the ARTM as a Booking Surcharge. The cost of a trip is calculated based on the distance traveled between the driver’s origin and destination in kilometers. There is also a platform fee associated with each reservation payment you will make.
19. How is the Application fee calculated?
The Application fee is calculated as follows :
(Driver revenue per passenger + 0.55 $) / (1 – 0.029) - (Driver revenue per passenger)
Where :
- 0.55 $ = Stripe and PayPal service fees*
- 0.029 = Strip percentage service fee (2.9%)*
- (Driver revenue per passenger) = the amount that the driver will receive from the passenger, 0.10$ per kilometer.
* Stripe and PayPal are e-commerce payment service providers.
20. When booking a trip as a passenger, two (2) prices are indicated for the Booking surcharge, is this normal?
Yes, went making a trip, it is possible that the « going » and « return » portions of a trip differ slightly in distance.
The Booking surcharge is calculated as follows :
(Driver distance kilometers going trip* 0.02$)
(Driver distance kilometers return trip * 0.02$)
For this reason, two (2) slightly different « Booking surcharges » can appear on your reservation record.
21. What is a Booking surcharge?
The Booking surcharge consists in the number of kilometers travelled by the driver * 0,02 $ for each segment « going » and « return » of their trip.
22. What are the accepted payment methods?
Only credit card payments (Visa, MasterCard) are accepted on the Covoiturage ARTM app. The service uses a virtual wallet, so no cash exchanges are expected between drivers and passengers.
23. I have an invoice in the name of Rideshark.com that appears on my credit card, is this normal?
The technology provider behind the Carpool ARTM application is RideShark Corporation Inc. The company is based in Ottawa, Ontario, and its merchant category is IT. If the amounts match those you paid through the app, there's a good chance they're the same transactions.
24. An amount debited by Rideshark.com was billed to me and then credited. Why?
It is possible that you selected a one-way trip when the driver was offering a round trip. The unused amount (for the portion of the trip not taken) has been credited to you. It is also possible that you or the driver has canceled a trip more than four (4) hours before departure.
25. What should I do if I’m not paid as agreed?
If this happens, please contact Covoiturage ARTM customer service at 1 833 allo-exo (1 833 255-6396). Our customer service is provided by our partner exo and is available from Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and on public holidays.
You can also send a written message to customer service by clicking the “Contact Us” tab in the Covoiturage ARTM app. Our customer service agents will have access to your account and trips history. They will need the date and approximate time of the unpaid trip along with any other detail relevant to your claim. Our customer service team might contact you by phone if needed.
26. I’m a passenger, and my payment was processed twice for the same trip. What should I do?
You can send a written message to customer service by clicking the by clicking the “Contact Us” tab in the Covoiturage ARTM app. This allows our agents to immediately have access to your account and travel history. They will need the date and approximate time of the trip along with any other detail relevant to your claim. Our customer service team might contact you by phone afterwards if needed.
You can also contact Covoiturage ARTM customer service at 1 833 allo-exo (1 833 255-6396). Please note that customer service is provided by our partner exo and is available from Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and on public holidays.
27. Why choose to offer a financial incentive for trips that cross one of the four chosen roadway links (Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel, Jacques-Cartier bridge, Victoria bridge and Samuel-De Champlain bridge)?
The pilot project was created and funded by the Ministère du Transport et de la Mobilité durable as part of the major repair work on the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel and is an integral part of the mitigation measures for the major repairs. The primary goal of the project was to incentivize carpooling between drivers crossing the river to reduce the number of vehicles on these four roadway links because they run a higher risk of congestion due to the tunnel’s considerably reduced capacity. However, the Covoiturage ARTM app is available to all users in Greater Montréal and all trips are subject to remuneration for drivers from the passengers.
28. I want to withdraw the sums accumulated as a driver and the application offers me to open a PayPal account. Is this the only option to obtain my accumulated sums?
Yes, you will need a PayPal account to withdraw your sums accumulated with Covoiturage ARTM. The PayPal account must then be linked to your bank account. All major Canadian banks are supported by PayPal. The amounts transferred should be available in your bank account in less than 5 business days. If you want an immediate transfer, PayPal allows it for a fee of 1.75%.
29. I have not accumulated $15 to withdraw my winnings, how can I recover my earnings?
The Carpooling ARTM application allows users to transfer their accumulated earnings via the digital payment service offered by PayPal. However, you must have accumulated $15 in earnings to transfer these sums from PayPal towards your bank account. If your earnings are less than this amount, it is possible to use this amount as a means of payment with certain online merchants who accept PayPal payments.
30. Are my earnings as a driver taxable?
No, the ARTM carpooling application has been designed to comply with the tax framework in force. As long as you respect the maximum remuneration allowed by the Act respecting remunerated passenger transportation by automobile ($0.54 per kilometer), this remuneration is not taxable.
31. If the driver is paid, what differentiates carpooling from passenger transportation like Uber or taxis?
The project is subject to the Act respecting remunerated passenger transportation by automobile. Essentially, the goal of carpooling isn’t to turn a profit but rather to split the costs of the trip between the driver and passenger(s). That’s why there’s an upper limit to driver remuneration ($0.54 per kilometre) and why the ARTM has set a limit of two daily paid trips for drivers, which amounts to one round trip.
Situations that require customer service
32. Who do I contact if I have a problem during my trip?
If it’s an emergency that threatens your safety, call 911. If the situation requires roadside assistance, contact the usual services. Otherwise, you can contact our customer service team by clicking the “Contact Us” tab in the Covoiturage ARTM app. You can also contact Covoiturage ARTM customer service at 1 833 allo-exo (1 833 255-6396).
Please note that customer service is provided by our partner exo, Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and on public holidays.
33. I’m a passenger, and the driver I was going to travel with didn’t show up. What should I do?
Passengers and drivers can communicate via the app’s text messaging service. However, if your driver didn’t show up at the appointed place and failed to warn you, we invite you to contact the customer service of Covoiturage ARTM at 1 833 allo-exo (1 833 255-6396), available from Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays. Please note that customer service is provided by our partner exo.
Please let us know the approximate date and time when the trip was to take place and any other details relevant to your request so that alternatives can be offered to you, including the possibility of using the Guaranteed ride program of Covoiturage ARTM.
34. What is the guaranteed Ride home program?
Covoiturage ARTM offers you a Guaranteed Ride Home program to ensure your return home in the event of an unforeseen event and under certain conditions. As a passenger of Covoiturage ARTM crossing one of the four bridges identified as part of the pilot project, you are entitled up to three (3) guaranteed ride home trips annually. You can therefore return to your home by optimizing public transportation and paid transportation services (taxi, Uber) up to a maximum amount of $55 per trip, in the event of an unforeseen situation or in the event of a cancellation from your driver less than four (4) hours before your trip.
If you need to use one of your Guaranteed Rides Home during our customer service hours (Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays) you have to contact them at 1 833 allo-exo (1 833 255-6396) to inform them of your situation. They will open a claim in your account and inform you how to proceed. Please note that customer service is provided by our partner exo.
Outside of our customer service hours, please make sure of your eligibility for the service by visiting our Guaranteed Ride Home page and make sure to inform our customer service about your situation so they can open a claim in your account. May sure to keep all your receipts.
35. One of my trips didn’t go well. Who should I contact about it?
At the end of each trip, you rate your experience on a scale from 1 to 5 stars as a passenger or as a driver. If elements of your experience warrant our attention beyond the rating system, don’t hesitate to contact customer service by clicking the “Contact Us” tab in the Covoiturage ARTM app. You can also contact Covoiturage ARTM customer service at 1 833 allo-exo (1 833 255-6396).
Please note that customer service is provided by our partner exo from Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and on public holidays.
36. I’m trying to download the Covoiturage ARTM app to my phone, but it isn’t working. What should I do?
Please report the situation to Covoiturage ARTM. However, it may be a problem with your phone rather than a problem with the application, such as a pending update or an unsupported version. The app requires Android 6 or iOS 10 (or later versions).
37. My app is not working, what should I do?
If such a case occurs, we invite you to contact Covoiturage ARTM customer service at 1 833 allo-exo (1 833 255-6396). Note that customer service is offered by our partner exo, Monday to Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and on public holidays.
Protection of privacy
38. How can I delete my account?
You may delete your account within the app, under your profile and under the account tab, select “Delete account”.
39. Is my personal information (name, phone number, driver’s licence) visible to other users on the platform?
No. Personal information is protected and isn’t visible on the carpooling platform. However, the following information is visible: your first name, the first letter of your last name, your picture if you wish to provide one. The make, model, year and colour of your car are also required, along with a picture.
Ride matching
40. How does Covoiturage ARTM work?
Covoiturage ARTM searches for matches around or along your commuting route and displays the results on a map and gives you details about a drivers or passengers trip. The app allows you to reach out to a potential match via the in-app messaging service without sharing your contact information.
41. How can I have a driver come pick me up near my home without having to give them my address?
You have several options. You can set up a meeting place near your home by dropping a pin on the map within the app in your neighbourhood (at a street corner, parking lot or park) or you can choose to meet at one of our predetermined spots, such as our park-and-ride lots.
42. Can I choose my driver or passenger according to particular preferences?
Yes, you have a few choices, such as your travel partner’s gender and whether they smoke. However, these may reduce your matching possibilities. You can access these functions thru the “View profile” menu within the app.
43. Does the app include a system for rating drivers and passengers like other transport apps?
Yes, drivers and passengers are rated on a scale from 1 to 5 stars and the results are compiled. If a user’s score is too low, or they have several low ratings, their account can be suspended or reviewed.
You can also report a problematic user directly through the app via the “Contact Us” page. What’s more, you can see your travel partner’s rating when you’re making a reservation. After each of your trips, you’ll be asked to rate your passenger or driver experience.