A Malaysian student has sparked a discussion online after asking whether it was reasonable to charge housemates RM60 per month for carpooling to class.
In a Threads post, the student shared that they usually drive to class and have housemates, who are also classmates, tagging along for the ride.
According to the student, the journey from their house to college takes around 10 minutes.
Charged RM60 per month for petrol
The student said he charge each passenger RM60 a month for petrol, and asked whether the amount was considered too much.
The distance from our house to college is around 10 minutes, and I only charge them RM60 each per month for petrol. Is that too much?”
In a follow-up comment, the student added that two people were currently carpooling with them.
They later clarified that the distance to college was around 8km, and the RM60 was the only amount contributed by the passengers.
Asked if extra trips should be charged too
The student also asked whether they should charge extra when the housemates asked to go elsewhere.
According to the netizen, there were times when the housemates asked to eat at places further away, or requested to be sent to a bus station about 17km away.
The student said he were unsure whether to charge for those trips as well.
Netizens say RM60 is fair
Many netizens felt that RM60 per person per month was reasonable, especially if the ride was a regular arrangement.
One netizen said the amount was “okay” as the driver were going to class together, but added that the driver’s time was also being tied to the passengers.
“If they complain, ask them to take Grab. In two trips, their money for the month might already be gone,” the netizen commented.
“My opinion is that RM60 per person per month is cheap, even if it’s just one-way and to the same destination.”
Another netizen said occasional help, such as sending someone to the bus station, was fine, but it should not become too frequent.
Extra trips should be separate, some say
Some netizens also pointed out that if the passengers were the ones asking to go somewhere else, they should contribute separately.
One commenter asked whether the passengers gave extra petrol money when they requested additional trips.
Overall, most netizens felt that RM60 a month was not expensive for regular carpooling to class, but agreed that extra trips should probably be discussed separately to avoid misunderstandings.
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