Gold Coast car-share service RIIDE lowers age limit to 18 as demand surges past 30,000 trips
RIIDE Carsharing
• Minimum age lowered from 21 to 18 (from 25 September 2025)
• 30,000+ trips completed across the Gold Coast
• Free-floating car share; locate and unlock hybrid cars via the RIIDE app
• Fuel and basic insurance included in every trip
• Hybrid fleet designed for short urban trips and lower emissions
RIIDE, Australia’s first and only free-floating (‘drive-and-drop’) car-share service, will open access to 18–20-year-olds holding a P2 (Green Ps) licence, reducing its minimum age from 21. The change coincides with the Gold Coast car-share platform surpassing 30,000 trips since launch, signalling strong demand for affordable, flexible mobility on the Coast. (Company data)
“Dropping the minimum age to 18 gives students, apprentices and young workers a fair, affordable way to get around without the cost of owning a car,” said Ricards Staks, CEO of RIIDE. “We’re widening access while keeping standards high with ID checks and clear community rules.”
External perspective
“RIIDE is a real solution for students who arrive car-free… it’s perfect for less frequent trips,” said Professor Matthew Burke, Cities Research Institute, Griffith University. Griffith University News
How it works
Members locate, unlock and drive hybrid cars via the RIIDE app, then end trips within a designated home-zone with fuel included. Usage has been consistent around Gold Coast Griffith University precincts since early 2023, where a floating model offers students and staff on-demand access without the cost or admin of a full-day rental. Griffith University
Why it matters
Independent studies of one-way/free-floating car share have found members sell or defer private car purchases and reduce driving, which in turn cuts congestion and emissions. Local councils also report car-share users typically avoid or curtail ownership, easing parking pressure.
Media Assets
Logos, car and app images: https://app.box.com/s/z797g53z2f581btvqw1104gij61v634x
Interviews available on request.
Notes for editors (sources and context)
• Griffith University item (1 March 2023) profiles RIIDE’s “floating” model and student use cases; includes comments from Prof Matthew Burke on convenience and cost for domestic and international students. Griffith University News
• Research on one-way/free-floating car share (UC Berkeley TSRC, Martin & Shaheen, 2016): across five North American cities, each shared vehicle was associated with 1–3 vehicles sold and 4–9 deferred purchases (≈7–12 private cars removed per car-share vehicle), alongside reductions in VMT and GHG emissions. US EPA California Air Resources Board Wisconsin University
• Local policy context: City of Sydney reports car-share users typically avoid or reduce ownership, reducing cars on streets, emissions and competition for parking. City of Sydney
• Cost-of-living backdrop: AAA Transport Affordability Index shows the typical Australian household spent 15.7% of income on transport in the June quarter 2025 (down from 17% a year earlier), keeping transport a major household expense. Australian Automobile Association
• Definition: Free-floating/one-way car share lets users pick up and drop off within a service area (no fixed bay/return-to-origin). Background: Australian transport bodies discuss FFCS as distinct from station-based services. iMOVE Australia
Optional editor angles
• Youth access: framing the P2 change as transport equity for students/apprentices. (Burke quote supports campus relevance.) Griffith University News
• Emissions/congestion: one-way car-share links to fewer private vehicles and lower per-member driving. US EPA Wisconsin University
• Parking/streetscape: council policy experience with car share relieving parking demand.
About us:
RIIDE operates a free-floating car-share service on the Gold Coast. Members can book hybrid vehicles by the minute or by the day and end trips within designated zones, with fuel included — a convenient, cost-effective alternative to private car ownership for short urban journeys.
Contact details:
Lauren Chapman – Media contact
0420 588 394
Ricards Staks – CEO, RIIDE Carsharing
[email protected]
