How to Become a Driver on Yo'ldosh and Cover Your Fuel Costs

If you are driving from city to city anyway, the free seats in your car can become compensation for fuel costs. Fellow travellers share the cost of the road with you, you do not have to drive alone, and the trip becomes more pleasant. Here is how to start driving on Yo'ldosh and what to consider so everything goes smoothly. Popular directions to start with: Tashkent — Samarkand and Tashkent — Bukhara.

What it is for

This is not a taxi job but a way to share the cost of a trip you are making anyway. You publish a route you really need: to relatives, to work, on a business trip, on holiday. Passengers book the free seats and pay their share of the road. Fuel, toll sections and wear on the car are partly or fully covered.

What you will need

For the exact list of requirements and the registration steps, see the app and the for drivers page, as conditions may be updated. In general you will need:

• a valid driving licence;
• vehicle documents and authorisation to use the car;
• a technically sound car that has passed any required inspection;
• insurance, if required by law;
• a profile with your real name, photo and contact details;
• a smartphone to use the app.

How to register

1. Download the Yo'ldosh app and create an account.
2. Fill in your profile: name, photo, contact details.
3. Add your car details: make, colour, plate number, number of seats.
4. Pass the verification the service requests.
5. Wait for approval and start publishing trips.

Driver verification raises passengers' trust, so fill in the form accurately and honestly.

How to publish a trip

A listing should be clear and complete:

1. Route. State the cities of departure and arrival and, if needed, intermediate stops.
2. Date and departure time. A realistic time you can keep.
3. Number of seats. No more than fit comfortably in the car along with luggage.
4. Price per seat. Fair and clear (read more in our article on calculating the price).
5. Pickup point. A specific, easy-to-find place: a station, a metro stop, a visible landmark.
6. Rules. Luggage, pets, smoking, music, stops: state everything that matters to you.

How much you can recover

The amount depends on distance, fuel consumption, number of passengers and fuel price. As a guideline, work out the cost of the road: fuel there, any toll sections and a small allowance for wear. With two or three seats filled, the cost of petrol or gas is often covered substantially, and with a full car the trip can cost you next to nothing. Work out exact sums yourself from your car's real consumption and current prices.

It is important to remember: the aim is to share costs, not to create an expensive "business on wheels". A fair price helps fill the car quickly and earn good reviews.

How to behave on the road

• arrive at the pickup point on time and let people know if you are delayed;
• keep the cabin clean and aired;
• observe speed limits and rules, and do not take risks to save time;
• agree on stops in advance and consider passengers' needs;
• respect fellow passengers' personal space and do not force conversation or music.

Reviews and rating

Passengers rate the trip, and over time the rating affects how willingly people book your seats. A good rating takes little: punctuality, careful driving, a clean cabin and polite communication. Reply quickly in chat: this often decides whether a seat is booked.

Preparing for the road

Before a long route check the tyres, oil, brakes, fuel level and spare wheel, and sort out all necessary documents in advance. We cover this in more detail in the article on preparing your car for a long route.

Start with one trip

The best way to get to grips with it: publish your first trip on a route you are going to drive anyway. You will see how booking works, how to talk to passengers and how many seats you can realistically fill. Detailed conditions and instructions are on the for drivers page, and all directions on the all routes page.

Cover photo: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.