πŸ—ΊοΈ No middleman. No booking fees.

Travel smarter
across Sri Lanka

RouteCeylon is a free coordination platform that connects travelers, ride-sharers, and drivers directly β€” you sort the rest between yourselves.

The concept

What RouteCeylon actually does

Think of us as a community notice board β€” not a taxi app. People post, people connect, people arrange directly.

🀝
Direct connections only

We match you with the right person and open a private chat. The trip details, pickup point, and payment are arranged between you β€” we stay out of it.

πŸ’Έ
Zero booking fees

RouteCeylon never takes a cut of your trip cost. Travelers pay drivers directly. Ride-sharers split costs their own way. We monetise via optional driver subscriptions, not commissions.

🌐
Built for Sri Lanka

Listings in English and Russian. Locations mapped to local names (airport, CMB, Trinco…). Built around how people in Sri Lanka actually travel and communicate.

πŸ™‹ Traveler

I need a ride

You're heading somewhere and need a seat. Post a request and let the drivers come to you β€” or browse what's already listed.

πŸ“
Step 1
Post your request

Tell us where you're going, when, and how many people. Takes 60 seconds.

πŸ””
Step 2
Receive offers

Drivers and ride-sharers on the same route see your request and offer you a seat.

βœ…
Step 3
Accept a match

Compare offers, check the driver's rating, and accept the one that suits you best.

πŸš—
Step 4
Meet & travel

Chat privately to agree on pick-up, settle the fare, and enjoy the ride.

What to include in your request

The more detail you give, the faster you'll get matched. You can always update your listing before anyone responds.

Departure city and destination β€” use well-known names (Colombo, Ella, CMB Airport…)
Date and approximate time β€” drivers plan around this, so be as precise as you can
Number of people β€” seat availability differs per vehicle
Luggage β€” a tuk-tuk can't fit two suitcases, good to say upfront
Notes β€” scenic stops, early morning, pet-friendly, etc. (no contact info allowed)
Needs a Ride
Galle β†’ Ella
πŸ“… Tomorrow Β· 7:00 AM πŸ‘€ 2 people 🧳 2 suitcases

Scenic stops welcome, happy to contribute to fuel.

Negotiate on match
DK
Dmitry K.
⭐ 5.0 · 7 trips

Example traveler listing β€” what others see

πŸš— Ride Sharer

I'm sharing my ride

You're driving anyway β€” why not offset the cost? Invite travelers heading your way to chip in on fuel and tolls.

πŸ“Œ
Step 1
Post your trip

Share your route, date, time, and how many seats you have available.

πŸ“¨
Step 2
Requests come in

Travelers on the same route see your listing and send a request to join.

πŸ‘
Step 3
You choose who joins

Review profiles and ratings. Approve the travelers you're comfortable with.

πŸ€‘
Step 4
Split & go

Chat to confirm pick-up details and collect the cost split at departure.

This is cost-sharing, not a taxi fare

The key distinction: you're already making this trip. The cost you suggest should reflect your genuine fuel, toll, and wear costs β€” not a profit. This is what keeps it community-friendly and avoids any licensing grey areas.

Suggest a fair split β€” think fuel Γ· number of passengers
You're not obligated to take anyone β€” it's your car, your call
Leave it blank to negotiate β€” some sharers just want company
Rate your passengers after the trip to help the community
Sharing a Ride
Negombo β†’ Kandy
πŸ“… Tomorrow Β· 6:00 AM πŸš— Car πŸ‘₯ 1 seat left 🧳 Small bag only
LKR 600 / suggested split
AM
Anna M.
⭐ 4.6 · 15 trips

Example ride-share listing

🚐 Driver

I have an empty vehicle

Semi-professional, private hire, or just heading back empty β€” list your vehicle and let travelers request the space.

πŸ“‹
Step 1
List your vehicle

Add your route, vehicle type, how many people you can take, and price.

πŸ‘€
Step 2
Travelers find you

Your vehicle appears on the browse page. Interested travelers request the space.

βœ”οΈ
Step 3
Confirm passengers

Check their profiles and ratings. Accept who you want in your vehicle.

πŸ’°
Step 4
Collect & drive

Agree on pick-up over chat. Collect cash at the door and head off.

Empty returns are your biggest opportunity

If you've dropped someone at a hotel in Ella and you're heading back to Colombo with an empty vehicle β€” that's a dead leg you can fill. Post it with 10 minutes' notice and you'll often find someone.

Set your own price β€” quote a total trip price, or leave blank to negotiate based on group size
You choose who rides β€” review requests and confirm the travellers you're comfortable with
Build your reputation β€” ratings stick to your profile across all trips
Driver Β· Empty Return
Ella β†’ Colombo
πŸ“… Feb 22 Β· 9:00 AM 🚐 Minivan πŸ‘₯ fits 6 ❄️ A/C
LKR 1,500 / suggested split
RP
Ruwan P.
⭐ 4.9 · 89 trips

Example driver listing β€” empty return trip

Under the hood

How the matching works

Our matching engine runs automatically to surface relevant listings β€” no manual searching needed.

πŸ™‹
Traveler
Colombo β†’ Ella, Feb 20
πŸ™‹
Traveler
Galle β†’ Kandy, Feb 22
πŸ™‹
Traveler
Colombo β†’ Ella, Feb 20
πŸ”—
RouteCeylon
Engine
Same route
Β±2 hour window
Language match
Seats available
🚐
Driver
Colombo β†’ Ella, Feb 20
πŸš—
Ride Sharer
Negombo β†’ Kandy, Feb 21
πŸš—
Ride Sharer
Colombo β†’ Ella, Feb 20
πŸ“
Route normalisation
Typos and abbreviations (cmb, trinco, airport) all resolve to the same canonical location
⏱️
Β±2 hour window
Departure times within 2 hours of each other are considered a compatible match
πŸ”—
Direct connections
Matched travellers connect privately β€” no middleman, no commission on the trip
Trust & Safety

How we keep things safe

RouteCeylon is community-powered. We can't escort every trip β€” but we build guardrails that matter.

πŸ”’
No public contact info

Listings are scanned automatically for phone numbers, email addresses, social handles, and messaging links. Any that slip through are removed. Contact only happens inside a verified match chat.

Auto-filtered
⭐
Verified ratings

After a completed match, both parties can rate each other 1–5 stars. Ratings are permanent and visible on all future listings. High-rated drivers and travellers get priority visibility.

Mutual reviews
πŸ›‘οΈ
Anti-spam limits

Each account can have a maximum of 3 open listings at a time, and duplicate postings on the same route within 7 days are automatically rejected. This keeps the board clean and trustworthy.

Max 3 listings
πŸ’¬
Match-gated chat

Private messaging only opens after a mutual match is confirmed. You can't DM a stranger β€” they have to offer a seat or accept your request first. This eliminates cold-contact spam.

Gated access
πŸ™‹
You stay in control

Drivers choose who boards their vehicle. Travellers choose which offer to accept. Neither party is ever forced into a match. You can decline, cancel, or block at any point before the trip starts.

Mutual consent
🌍
Bilingual support

The platform supports English and Russian natively. Listings can be posted in either language. The matching engine understands both scripts and maps Russian city names to the same canonical locations.

EN Β· RU
Common questions

FAQ

Is RouteCeylon free to use? +
Browsing and posting listings is completely free for everyone. There are no booking fees, no commissions, and no hidden charges on trip costs. In the future, professional drivers may opt into a paid subscription for priority placement β€” but the core platform stays free.
How do I pay for a trip? +
RouteCeylon doesn't process any payments. All payment is arranged directly between you and the other party β€” usually cash at pick-up. The price shown on a listing is a suggested split or starting point for negotiation. You sort the final amount in the private match chat.
What happens if a driver doesn't show up? +
Because RouteCeylon doesn't process payments or guarantee trips, we can't issue refunds. However, you can leave a 1-star review and report the user. Repeated no-shows will result in account suspension. Always confirm the trip in the chat before heading to the meeting point.
Can I post in Russian? +
Yes β€” the platform is fully bilingual. The Russian version is at /ru. You can post in Russian and the matching engine will connect you with Russian-speaking drivers and travellers on the same route. City names in Cyrillic (Коломбо, Π­Π»Π»Π°, etc.) resolve to the same locations as their English equivalents.
How does RouteCeylon know my location? +
We don't use GPS or Google Maps. You type the city name (or pick it from the autocomplete) and our location engine maps it to a canonical place. Abbreviations like "CMB", "Trinco", and "airport" all work. There's no billing, no API key, no tracking β€” just a built-in list of Sri Lanka's most-travelled locations.
I'm a professional driver. Is RouteCeylon for me? +
Yes β€” the Driver role is designed with you in mind. List your vehicle and available seats, set your price, and build a verified rating profile over time. Empty return trips are particularly effective: post a return leg after dropping off a client and you'll often fill the van within the hour.
How do I delete or edit my listing? +
Once you're signed in, you'll find all your active listings in your profile. You can mark a listing as filled (which hides it from search) or delete it entirely. Edits to route or departure time create a new listing β€” this prevents abuse of the duplicate detection system.

Ready to travel smarter?

Join the community connecting Sri Lanka, one shared ride at a time.