Blablacar and AmigoExpress take 15 to 20% commission on each ride. For a $30 ride, the platform pockets $5 — over hundreds of thousands of rides. But the real problem isn't the commission: it's dependency. If Blablacar shuts down or changes its terms, an entire community loses its carpooling network overnight. And like dating sites, it's impossible to launch an alternative: nobody posts a ride if there are no passengers, nobody searches for a ride if there are no drivers. It's the vicious circle of critical mass. Existing platforms solved this by burning millions in marketing — a privilege local communities don't have.