Our Community
Routebook provides tools for people to discover and coordinate long-distance travel with others. What happens beyond that discovery — whether users decide to travel together, how they handle logistics, and what cost-sharing arrangements they make between themselves — is entirely between them.
These Community Guidelines set the standard for how we expect users to conduct themselves on the Platform: in route postings, in messages, in reviews, and in interactions that originate from Routebook. They do not govern what happens off the Platform.
Violations may result in warnings, temporary suspension, or permanent removal.
These Guidelines supplement our Canada Terms of Service.
1. Be Accurate
Route postings and profile information exist so users can make informed decisions about who to travel with.
- Post routes you actually intend to drive
- Accurately represent your vehicle (make, model, year)
- Use a genuine photo that clearly shows your face
- Use your real legal name — the name on your account is the name on the government ID you submitted during Persona verification
- Do not misrepresent your location, route, departure time, or available seats
- Do not submit fraudulent, altered, or borrowed documents during identity verification
- Do not create multiple accounts or impersonate another person
Deliberately misleading other users through false postings or profiles may result in permanent removal.
2. Communicate Respectfully
Routebook's messaging feature is for coordinating travel arrangements. All communication through the Platform must be respectful and purposeful.
You must not use Platform messaging to:
- Harass, threaten, or intimidate another user
- Send unwanted romantic or sexual messages
- Use hate speech or language that degrades anyone on any ground prohibited by the Canadian Human Rights Act (R.S.C. 1985, c. H-6) or by the Human Rights Code of any Canadian province or territory, including (without limitation): race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion or creed, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, genetic characteristics, disability (physical or mental), pardoned conviction, political belief, ancestry, place of origin, citizenship, source of income, or any other ground made a prohibited ground of discrimination by applicable federal or provincial legislation in your jurisdiction
- Spam users with repeated unwanted contact
- Solicit money, goods, or services unrelated to the cost-sharing contribution for the trip under discussion
- Promote external businesses or distribute advertising, including commercial electronic messages that would violate Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (S.C. 2010, c. 23)
Violations of these standards will result in account action up to and including permanent removal.
3. Respect Other Users' Decisions
Users on Routebook are not obligated to accept or respond to any invitation, request, or message. You must respect when someone declines, does not respond, or removes themselves from a conversation.
- Do not repeatedly contact a user who has not responded or has declined your invitation
- Do not retaliate against a user for declining or for leaving a negative review
- Do not pressure or coerce another user into any arrangement
4. Use the Platform for Its Intended Purpose
Routebook is a discovery and communication tool for coordinating genuine cost-sharing carpool arrangements. It is not a commercial transportation service.
Do not use Routebook to:
- Operate or advertise an unlicensed commercial passenger-transportation service, Passenger Directed Vehicle, Transportation Network Services operation, limousine, taxi, or any other for-hire transportation service regulated under the Highway Traffic Act (Ontario), the Passenger Transportation Act (British Columbia), the Traffic Safety Act (Alberta), or equivalent legislation in your province or territory
- Request or accept a cost-sharing contribution higher than the CRA prescribed per-kilometre rate applied to the shared portion of the trip, divided by the number of seats you have offered — the cap enforces Routebook's good-faith carpool posture, and attempting to bypass it (whether by splitting a trip into pieces, requesting additional funds under another pretext, or any other means) is prohibited
- Recruit users for multi-level marketing, pyramid schemes, or unrelated commercial ventures
- Collect user data for external use, in violation of PIPEDA or applicable provincial private-sector privacy legislation
- Use automated bots or scrapers to interact with the Platform
5. Safety Is Your Responsibility
Every user on Routebook in Canada must complete government-ID verification via Persona before any ride can be arranged — before posting a route and before sending a seat request. This confirms identity and enforces the minimum-age requirement of 19 years. It is not a background check, does not screen for criminal history, driving record, insurance, or vehicle condition, and cannot make any guarantee about the safety of any travel arrangement. Users are solely responsible for evaluating who they choose to travel with.
We encourage all users to:
- Exercise your own judgment before agreeing to travel with a stranger
- Share your travel plans with a trusted contact before departing
- Verify information shared by other users independently if it is important to you
- Trust your instincts — you are never obligated to proceed with any arrangement
If you feel unsafe at any point, do not proceed. Contact local emergency services (9-1-1) if you are in danger.
6. Write Honest Reviews
Ratings and reviews help the community make informed decisions. They are only valuable if they are genuine.
- Only review users you have actually interacted with or traveled with through Routebook
- Write reviews that reflect your honest experience
- Do not fabricate positive reviews for yourself or negative reviews for others
- Do not use reviews to harass, defame, or retaliate against other users
- Do not offer or accept anything of value in exchange for a positive review
We may remove reviews that appear to be fraudulent, retaliatory, or in violation of these Guidelines, but we have no obligation to do so.
7. Reporting
If another user's conduct violates these Guidelines or makes you feel unsafe, report it.
If you are in immediate danger, contact 9-1-1 first.
To report within the app: tap the user's profile or a specific message and select "Report," then provide as much detail as you can.
To contact Routebook directly: [email protected]
We will review all reports and take action we determine to be appropriate, which may include removing content, suspending accounts, or referring matters to law enforcement. We will not disclose the identity of reporters except where required by law.
8. Enforcement
Routebook reserves the right to determine, in its sole discretion, whether a violation of these Guidelines has occurred.
| Situation | Typical Response |
|---|---|
| First minor violation | Warning |
| Repeated minor violations | Temporary suspension |
| Harassment, intimidation, discrimination | Immediate suspension or permanent removal |
| Impersonation or systematic deception | Permanent removal |
| Conduct that may constitute a crime | Permanent removal and referral to law enforcement |
Users who believe a suspension or removal was made in error may appeal by contacting [email protected]. We will review appeals within 10 business days. All enforcement decisions are final at Routebook's discretion.