Hitch a lift: Hitchhiking for the 21st century

Considering the price of petrol, growing concerns about the environment and the current economic climate, it may soon be socially unacceptable to be seen alone in your car. Paul Hart’s iHitch brings hitchhiking into the 21st century.

Hitchhikers need only a mobile phone to inform the world of their current location and eventual destination, whilst participating car drivers have a GPS unit to work out where the hitchhikers are. The iHitch also calculates a payment that should be given to the driver in return for a lift. To ensure participants’ safety, Hart is considering applying the eBay model of rating drivers and hitchhikers. Users can even choose their drivers or passengers by criteria such as university degrees or topics of conversation – the higher the rating, the less time a potential hitchhiker will have to wait at the side of the road.