Ridesharing service ready to hit road

A ride-sharing company could start operating in Albany.

Hi Oscar is a service from Perth where a driver uses their own car to transport passengers using an app.

Founder Daniel Broughton launched the service in January and said he focused on bringing the app to regional centres where there was a strong demand.

“I am very driven to bring ridesharing to Albany and throughout the South West as I believe the entire area will benefit — not just for locals but the whole tourism industry,” he said.

“The whole introduction of the service is reliant on drivers.

“The app and tech infrastructure is ready to go. If I had a driver right now, you would have rideshare in Albany today.

“Ridesharing is a popular transport option, with riders pretty much everywhere and given we have been popular in Busselton, which has a similar population, I see no reason why Hi Oscar won’t be popular in Albany as well.”

The service works using two apps — one for the driver and one for the rider.

The rider has the ability to book a driver on-demand so long as a driver is online or they can book a ride for later.

There are a number of vehicle choices available — Oscar is a regular four seater, Big Oscar is a five-plus seater and Fancy Oscar is typically a luxury car.

The three car types have different prices.

Hi Oscar has 650 drivers registered in Perth, six in Busselton, two in Margaret River and another in Augusta.

Mr Broughton said he hoped Hi Oscar would soon be everywhere in Australia.

“Hi Oscar has been well received, especially by those that are conscious of supporting a locally owned, 100 per cent Australian alternative,” he said.

For more information, visit https://www.hi-oscar.com.au/.