Cost of living · Petrol prices

How to save money
on petrol —
without driving less.

Petrol prices are at record highs. For most people, the commute still has to happen. Carpooling is one of the few options that cuts the cost of the actual trip — not just the frequency.

Three carpooled commutes a week can save you over $2,000 a year on running costs alone — before parking.

$0.44
Variable cost
per km
50%
Typical fuel
cost reduction
$2,000+
Annual saving
3 rides/week
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How much could you save?

Enter your suburb and days — we'll calculate your annual saving.

Your estimated annual saving

$1,267

on running costs · 3 days/week · parking not included

Based on variable running costs ($0.44/km). Fixed costs excluded.

The maths

Why carpooling halves your fuel bill

The ATO calculates that the variable cost of running a car — fuel, maintenance, and tyres — is approximately $0.44 per kilometre. That's the cost that changes depending on how much you drive.

When you carpool as a passenger, you contribute roughly half that cost. The driver recovers their running costs. You travel for a fraction of what it would cost to drive alone.

The fixed costs — registration, insurance, depreciation — stay the same regardless. But for the commute itself, carpooling cuts the variable cost in half, every trip.

For a 20 km commute (one way), that's approximately $8–10 saved per day as a passenger versus driving solo. Over 48 working weeks at three days a week, that's over $1,500 a year — just in running costs.

See the full cost breakdown by Sydney suburb

Real numbers

Savings by Sydney corridor

Route You pay Annual saving
Dee Why → CBD $10–14 $1,950–2,730
Forestville → Marrickville $12–16 $2,340–3,120
Northbridge → Darlinghurst $9–13 $1,755–2,535
Northern Beaches → Parramatta $14–20 $2,730–3,900
Freshwater → Airport $20–28 Per trip

Annual savings at 5 days/week, 48 weeks. Parking not included.

Share the fuel cost

As a passenger, you pay a fair share of running costs — typically $7–20 per trip depending on distance. The driver recovers their costs. You travel for a fraction of driving alone.

Skip the parking

CBD parking costs $30–60 per day. As a passenger you get dropped at the door — no parking cost, no time lost circling the block. That's an extra $7,000–14,000 saved annually for regular CBD commuters.

Reduce emissions too

Every carpooled trip removes a car from the road. A year of regular carpooling prevents over a tonne of CO₂. The saving is financial and environmental — at the same time.

How it works

Three steps to a cheaper commute

1

Open the app

The first thing you see is rides already happening near you — no search required. Someone from your suburb is probably already heading your way.

2

Join the ride

Send a ride request, sort the pickup in the chat, and confirm. No phone calls, no manual coordination. The cost splits automatically.

3

Save every week

The more regularly you carpool, the more you save. Set up recurring rides with the same driver and the arrangement practically runs itself.

Active on Herdy

Routes where people are already saving

These corridors have active drivers on Herdy right now. Open the app and you'll likely see a ride already posted near you.

Forestville → Marrickville
118 rides
Save up to $3,120/year · Herdy's #1 corridor
Northbridge → Darlinghurst
64 rides
Save up to $2,535/year · over the bridge
Northern Beaches → Macquarie Park
107 rides
Save up to $3,840/year · MQ corridor
Northern Beaches → CBD
Active
Save $1,950–3,510/year · Manly to Avalon
Freshwater → Sydney Airport
50 rides
$20–28/trip vs $50–70 taxi · most active airport route
See all Sydney corridors →
Browse every active route on Herdy across Sydney

FAQ

Common questions

How much can I realistically save on petrol by carpooling?

For a typical Northern Beaches to CBD commute of around 20–25 km each way, carpooling as a passenger saves approximately $10–15 per day in running costs — around $2,000–3,600 per year at five days a week. Shorter routes save proportionally less; longer routes more. The calculator above gives you a personalised estimate.

Does carpooling actually reduce fuel costs or just split them?

As a passenger, you reduce your personal fuel cost to zero — you're not driving at all. The contribution you make to the driver covers a share of their running costs. Your net saving versus driving solo is the full cost of your own fuel plus running costs, minus the passenger contribution. That's typically a 50–70% reduction in the effective cost of the journey.

Is carpooling legal in NSW?

Yes — completely legal. Cost-sharing carpooling requires no licence, permit, or special insurance. Herdy is designed around cost recovery, not commercial profit, which keeps all arrangements clearly within NSW transport law. Read the full legal explainer →

What if there's no carpool on my route yet?

Set a ride alert in the Herdy app for your route and Herdy will notify you as soon as a driver posts a matching ride. Alternatively, post your own commute as a driver — you'll attract passengers from your suburb and recover your running costs from day one.

Stop paying for an empty seat.

Download Herdy — free on iOS and Android. See who's already going your way.

Download on the App Store Get it on Google Play