Home / Students

Students · Australian universities

Your commute costs too much.
Share it instead.

Someone from your suburb is already driving to your campus. Same days. Same time. Empty seat. Herdy matches students with drivers already going their way — or helps drivers recover their costs from students heading the same direction.

$8–14

Typical cost
per trip

$1,500+

Saved per
year

Free

To download
iOS & Android

Why Herdy for students?

The uni commute is expensive.
It doesn't have to be.

Split the cost

Typically $8–14 per trip. Cheaper than petrol as a solo driver, and door-to-campus instead of multiple bus connections. Over a full year, regular carpooling saves $1,500 or more.

Meet campus neighbours

Herdy shows you rides happening near you the moment you open the app. Your future study buddy might be three streets away and heading to the same lecture.

No car needed

Join a ride as a passenger — no car, no licence required. If you do drive to campus, post your commute and recover your running costs from students heading the same way.

Better for the planet

Every shared trip removes a car from the road. A year of regular carpooling prevents over a tonne of CO₂ — a meaningful, measurable sustainability action you can actually do.

Campus guides

Find your campus

Herdy is active at universities across Australia. Each campus guide covers active corridors, suburb coverage, and what a typical trip costs.

City campuses

Students commuting from outer suburbs to inner-city university precincts — Melbourne CBD, Brisbane CBD, Adelaide CBD. Door-to-campus beats multi-connection public transport.

Suburban campuses

Large suburban university campuses with limited public transport links. Students from surrounding areas find carpooling faster, cheaper and more direct than bus connections.

Regional universities

Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Canberra and other regional cities where students commute from surrounding towns. Herdy's FrontRunners pilot is already active in several of these areas.

Your campus

Herdy is expanding to new campuses across Australia. Post your commute and set a ride alert — you could be the first driver on your corridor.

Not seeing rides near your campus yet? Post your route and set a ride alert — we'll notify you as soon as a matching ride appears.

How it works

Simple from day one.

I don't have a car

Download Herdy

Open the app and see rides already happening near you. No search needed — your suburb is your starting point.

Find your ride

Check profiles and ratings, then send a request to a driver heading to your campus on your days.

Sort the pickup in the in-app chat. Cost splits automatically — no cash, no awkward money conversation.

I drive to campus

Post your commute

Set your route, campus, and which days you drive. For recurring commutes, post as a series — students can find you week after week.

Accept requests

Students heading your way send ride requests. Review their profiles and confirm who joins — you're always in control.

Recover your costs

Drive as normal. Passengers contribute to your running costs automatically — turning a solo expense into a shared one.

FAQ

Student carpool questions

How does student carpooling work on Herdy?

Download the app — the first thing you see is rides already happening near you, no search required. You can join an existing ride as a passenger, post your own commute as a driver, or set a ride alert if nothing is available on your route yet. Payment splits automatically — no cash, no awkwardness.

Do I need a car to use Herdy?

No. You can join rides as a passenger without a car or licence. If you do have a car and drive to campus, posting your commute lets you recover a share of running costs from fellow students going the same direction — turning a solo expense into a shared one.

How much does student carpooling cost?

Passenger contributions are set by drivers to cover a fair share of running costs — not to make a profit. For typical student corridors, expect around $8–14 per trip. That's often comparable to a multi-zone concession bus fare, but door-to-campus rather than multiple connections.

Is Herdy safe for students?

Yes. Every user verifies their phone number and email at signup. You can read driver profiles, ratings, and past reviews before joining any ride, and message the driver in advance to confirm details. Many students find sharing a ride with a verified Herdy user — often from the same suburb or campus — more comfortable than public transport.

Is carpooling legal in Australia?

Cost-sharing carpooling is legal across Australia. The key principle is that drivers recover their actual running costs — they don't profit from the arrangement. Herdy is built around this model. Regulations vary by state and territory; Herdy operates in compliance with the rules applicable in each jurisdiction where it is active.

My university isn't listed — can I still use Herdy?

Absolutely. Herdy is expanding to new campuses across Australia. Download the app, post your commute or set a ride alert for your route, and we'll notify you as soon as a matching driver posts a ride. The more students from your campus who join, the faster the network grows.

Your commute costs too much. Share it instead.

The uni commute is expensive.It doesn't have to be.