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Getting to campus

Carpooling

Carpool using the Liftango app

UOW has partnered with Liftango and CellOPark to help you carpool and save money on parking when you travel with a friend!

Use the free Liftango app to share a ride with another UOW commuter and get 50% off casual parking, subject to parking availability. You’ll be helping reduce your carbon footprint by taking cars off the road and save money on parking and fuel.

You can send a direct link to a friend to make a private ride, or get matched by the app for another UOW commuter travelling on the same day. Book your trips in advance for the best chance of finding a match.

To get your parking discount, you'll need to have both the Liftango and CellOPark apps and use the same vehicle registration (licence plate) number. The apps are linked, so when you start a session with CellOPark, it will check for a valid completed Liftango trip and provide you with a discount on that parking session.

 

How it works

  1. Use the Liftango app to match with another UOW commuter.
  2. Travel to the campus with your matched Liftango trip.
  3. Park in one of the eligible zones on the Wollongong Campus, and use the CellOPark app to start a parking session. Make sure your vehicle registration (licence plate number) matches in both the CellOPark and Liftango apps. 
  4. Once you've finished parking, end your CellOPark session - the 50% discount will automatically apply.

Get started

  1. Download the free Liftango app from the Apple App Store or Google Play
  2. Register using your UOW email address and follow the setup process.
  3. Enter your trip details, and let Liftango find your best match. When the match is accepted, the app provides the driver with directions to their rider, and riders can see how far away the driver is.

Where to park

Park in one of the following eligible zones (subject to availability): 

  • Zone 2522999: six designated Liftango spaces in the P2 Carpark - check for the "reserved liftango" parking spaces.
  • Zone 2522100: casual parking in P3, P4, P5 North and P8
  • Zone 2522300: P1 carpark casual parking (level 2B and above).

You will need to have completed a valid trip in Liftango and then pay for your parking via the CellOPark app to obtain the discounted rates. The Liftango app requires you to travel at least 2km from the Wollongong Campus for your trip to be valid.

The apps require you to use the same vehicle registration number (licence plate) to match the trip and parking session.  Both the driver and passenger need to have the Liftango app. The driver will need to have both the Liftango app and CellOPark app on their phone, and have the same vehicle registration number in both apps.

If all casual parking spaces are full on campus, you will need to seek alternative parking.  Unfortunately the discounted rate does not apply in UOW permit spaces or reserved parking areas. It is only eligible in casual parking zones where CellOPark can be used.

FAQs

Liftango is a carpooling app for the UOW staff and student community (UOW commuters). The Liftango app aims to match a driver and rider together to commute to the Wollongong campus.  Once you have created an account, Liftango matches you with other commuters who have similar commute times and locations.  The app supports you throughout the entire pick up and drop off process and is flexible enough to allow you to choose your rides on the days and times best suited to you. 

The Liftango app is only accessible within UOW. You must use your UOW email address to access the UOW Liftango community, and you can only share rides with UOW staff and students. 

There are no costs associated with using the Liftango app and you will not be asked for payment details (payment details are required for the CellOPark app). It is against the law for a driver to charge a fare or other consideration for carpooling.  You will need to pay for your parking on the campus though, using the CellOPark app.  If you have used Liftango for your trip to campus and have parked in a casual parking zone, you will get half price parking rates when you pay in the CellOPark app.

There are many reasons why carpooling makes sense:  

  • Owning and running a car can be expensive, our roads are congested and carbon emissions are rising.  
  • Parking is in high demand on the Wollongong Campus during peak periods.   
  • It’s cheaper! UOW offers Liftango users who travel to the campus half price parking rates! That means if you complete a valid Liftango trip to get to the campus, when you pay for parking using the CellOPark app in a casual parking zone, you will pay half the price for your stay.  

The use of the Liftango app is entirely voluntary.  You can stop using the app at any time.  You do not need to use the app to travel or park at UOW, and you can choose to carpool as much or as little as you like.

You can use the Liftango app to send a private ride request to a friend or colleague through the app.  If you use Liftango you can get the half price parking rates in CellOPark zones on the Wollongong campus.

  1. Download the Liftango app from the Google Play Store (Android) or the App Store (iPhone).   
  2. Register an account using your UOW email address to get into the UOW Liftango community. For students, this is yourusername@uowmail.edu.au, and for staff, yourusername@uow.edu.au.
  3. Create your profile and put in the times and days you are going to be travelling. It is best to do this as far in advance as possible, to have the best success of finding a match.
  4. If you are going to be a driver, you will also need to download and register for CellOPark (UOW’s casual parking payment app).

Liftango matches one driver and a rider (passenger). You can have more friends in the car, but to have a valid trip via the Liftango app, you only need to match with one person.

You can easily cancel a trip request at any time before you are matched. If you’ve already been matched and you need to cancel, it’s best to be respectful to your rider and do so as early as possible through the app. If you cancel a trip after you are matched, you will not be able to reschedule. 

If you don’t want to cancel, but you need to adjust your plans slightly, we encourage you to reach out to your rider (passenger) to see if they might be able to accommodate you. 

Please be aware that frequent cancellations may mean that limitations are placed on your ability to use Liftango for carpooling.

It’s always best to arrange your ride home in advance and make sure you have a plan B, such as using one of the free shuttle buses.

Personal safety and assistance

Liftango is a third party who provides the carpooling app and does not vet or perform background checks of its users, by using the Liftango app you must agree and be subject to Liftango’s terms and conditions.  Liftango does not undertake criminimal history checks of users, it is not responsible or liable to provide any information, or request info on users’ criminal background.     

If required, Liftango users can submit feedback through the "Help" button available in the app. This will go to the Liftango Support team. Liftango users who are not acting appropriately will be suspended.  

If you are in danger or there are issues of an illegal nature, please contact NSW Police in the first instance and notify UOW Security (4221 4555).

You can match with a known friend by sending a private ride request. If you don't know the other person, consider choosing a pick up location nearby, such as the corner of a street instead of your house, for example. 

Terms and conditions

When you register with Liftango, you must accept the Terms and Conditions. The Terms and Conditions state that you must have valid vehicle registration and insurance policies. UOW and Liftango are not liable in the event of any incidents. 

Privacy

The Liftango Privacy Policy outlines what personal information you share within the app. You will need to provide your phone number, UOW email address, car registration, car make and car model.  These details are only shared with your match in case you need to get in contact with each other if there is an issue (e.g. traffic jams, car breakdown etc), or to verify a lift.

Liftango makes every effort to protect your personal privacy while also providing sufficient information to allow matches. 

Liftango’s data handling conforms to all Australian Federal Data Sovereignty and Privacy Act regulations. They do not share data with third parties.  Liftango’s Privacy Policy and their Terms and Conditions are available on their website.  

For technical issues or app feedback contact Liftango.

If you need assistance with the CellOPark app contact CellOPark.

If you would like more information on parking on campus, contact us at uow-parking@uow.edu.au.