By Marius Kemp
South Africa’s roads are some of the most congested globally. According to the 2024 INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard, which analyses transportation data and trends among 946 urban areas across the globe, residents in Cape Town lost a staggering 94 hours per year owing to traffic.
This makes it the seventh most traffic-congested city in the world. Add to this the high cost of petrol, and the case for carpooling to save money looks increasingly attractive.
Apart from combatting the boredom of being stuck in traffic and decreasing your carbon footprint, apps such as JustGo and Ugomyway help you to share a ride with people who are travelling the same way as you are so you can offset some of your running costs.
Benefits of carpooling are far reaching, but there are pitfalls you must know about.
It is important to understand the impact carpooling can have on your car insurance and what to watch out for:
Types of carpooling
Before you go any further, you need to decide which carpooling setup works best for you:
- Specific driver carpool: In this case, there will be a designated driver and car, and passengers pay a weekly or monthly rate towards things like petrol, parking and maintenance. This amount should not exceed the SARS Reimbursement Travel Allowance - in other words, it should not be for profit. Passengers should also know that they will be unable to claim from you for bodily injury within South Africa in the event of an accident but will have to claim from the Road Accident Fund.
- Alternating carpool: Here, everyone takes turns to drive with their own cars on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. So simply put: when you drive, you pay. When you ride, it’s free. In this case, no money is exchanged, and each driver is responsible for their own insurance and maintenance costs. Passengers should know that they will be unable to claim from you for bodily injury within South Africa in the event of an accident but will have to claim from the Road Accident Fund.
- Side hustle carpool: With apps like JustGo, you can get strangers to share a ride with you on an upcoming trip, sharing the travel expenses. However, it is again recommended that this amount should not exceed the SARS Reimbursement Travel Allowance – it should not be for profit. Passengers should know that they will be unable to claim from you for bodily injury within South Africa in the event of an accident but will have to claim from the Road Accident Fund.
- Employer carpool: Some employers offer staff the use of company vehicles to encourage carpooling. Employees would then pay a fare to cover petrol, insurance and maintenance costs.
What can affect your insurance?
Whichever carpooling scenario you choose, it’s a good idea to let your insurer know if anything changes in your regular driving set-up as this can affect insurance premiums. For example, if the designated driver of your car is not the “regular driver” quoted in your insurance policy documents, and is involved in an accident, your claim may be influenced in terms of the cover and premium applicable.
If money changes hands, things get more complicated too. It could be seen by an insurer as a commercial transaction, especially if the money you're receiving is more than what is necessary to cover expenses such as petrol, maintenance, and parking. You would then potentially need business insurance, and a special permit if you transport children or more than 12 people at a time.
Additionally, insurers have different definitions of what defines a “lift club”. In the case of Santam, one of the vehicle exclusions denotes that carrying of passengers for hire or passengers who pay a fare are excluded, except in the case of vehicle sharing to conserve fuel.
If you are the owner of a carpool vehicle, it’s imperative to ensure you have comprehensive insurance from a reputable provider. It’s also a good idea to speak to your broker or insurer about relooking your insurance cover for useful extras such as roadside assistance, tyre and rim cover, or windscreen protection.”
Kemp is head of personal underwriting at Santam.
PERSONAL FINANCE