Terms of Service

Patuva (the “Platform”) is operated by DSU Blacksmith DOOEL Skopje, ul. Salvador Aljende br. 4, Skopje, North Macedonia. In these Terms, “Patuva”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to DSU Blacksmith DOOEL Skopje, and “you” refers to any person who accesses or uses the Platform.

The following definitions apply throughout these Terms:

• Platform: the Patuva mobile application and related services that connect drivers and passengers.
• Driver: a user who offers one or more empty seats in their own vehicle for a Trip.
• Passenger: a user who requests or books a seat in a Driver's vehicle.
• Trip: a single journey published by a Driver between a point of origin and a destination.
• Road Trip: a multi-day trip across Europe published by a host that other users may request to join.
• Platform Fee: the connection/service fee charged by Patuva for matching a Driver and a Passenger.
• Fare: the cost-sharing amount paid in cash by a Passenger to a Driver for the ride.

Patuva is a technology platform that connects independent drivers and passengers for carpooling and cost-sharing. We provide the tools to publish trips, discover them, request seats and pay a Platform Fee.

Patuva is NOT a transport company, carrier, or taxi service, and is not a party to the journey. We do not own or operate vehicles, employ drivers, or provide transport. The transport contract is concluded directly between the Driver and the Passenger. Patuva's only role is to connect the two parties.

To use Patuva you must be at least 18 years old and able to enter into a legally binding agreement.

To offer Trips as a Driver, you must additionally:

• hold a valid driving licence;
• hold valid insurance covering the vehicle and its occupants for the Trip;
• use a roadworthy, legally registered vehicle; and
• operate lawfully on a cost-sharing basis only, and not as commercial or for-profit transport.

You must register an account to use most features of the Platform. You agree to provide accurate, current and complete information and to keep it up to date.

You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. We may suspend or terminate accounts that are used in breach of these Terms, that contain false information, or that are involved in misuse, fraud or unlawful activity.

To join a Trip, a Passenger sends a “request to book” a seat. The Driver may approve or decline the request at their discretion. A booking is only confirmed once the Driver approves it.

For Road Trips, a host publishes a multi-day trip and other users request to join. The host approves or declines each request in the same way.

Patuva charges a small Platform Fee (a connection/service fee) for matching Drivers and Passengers. The Platform Fee is paid online by cardthrough our bank's secure payment gateway.

The ride Fare is paid in cash directly to the Driver. Patuva does not collect, handle, or hold the Fare, and is not responsible for it. Prices are denominated in MKD.

Road Trips are charged a flat join fee instead of a per-seat Platform Fee. For details of how fees behave on cancellation and refunds, see our Refund & Cancellation Policy.

If a booking request is still pending, cancelling it releases the hold and you are not charged. Once a booking is confirmed, the Platform Fee is generally non-refundable, except where the Driver declines or cancels or the Trip cannot take place.

Full details, including how Road Trip join fees are handled, are set out in our Refund & Cancellation Policy.

Each account has an invite code. When someone signs up with your code, their first Platform Fee is waived; you receive a fee-waiver credit once that person completes a booking. Credits apply only to the Platform Fee, have no cash value, cannot be transferred, sold or withdrawn, and may expire.

We may withhold, reduce or cancel credits, and suspend the program for an account, where we reasonably believe it is being abused, including self-referral, fake or duplicate accounts, or credits obtained other than as intended.

A Driver may choose to offer a trip as a women-onlyride as an optional safety feature. Eligibility relies on the self-declared gender on a Passenger's account; Patuva does not verify gender and is not responsible for misrepresentation. Drivers offering, and Passengers booking, women-only rides are responsible for using the feature in good faith.

You can generate a link that lets someone follow one of your trips. The page shows limited trip details only (route, time, driver first name, vehicle and rating) and never contact details or other passengers. You are responsible for who you share the link with, and you can turn it off at any time.

“Your Content” means anything you add to Patuva: your profile photo and bio, Trip and Road Trip descriptions, reviews you write, and messages you send us.

You keep ownership of Your Content. You grant DSU Blacksmith DOOEL Skopje a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, store, reproduce, adapt (for example, resizing a photo), publish and display Your Content, solely to operate and promote the Platform. This licence exists because running Patuva requires showing your content to others: your profile and reviews are visible to signed-in users, and Road Trip pages and trip share links can be opened by anyone holding the link.

The licence lasts while Your Content is on the Platform. If you delete content or your account, it ends, except that we may keep copies as our Privacy Policy describes and reviews you received may remain visible in de-identified form so ratings stay meaningful.

You confirm that, for everything you post:

• you own it or have permission to use it, and it infringes nobody else’s copyright, trademark or privacy rights;
• you have the consent of anyone identifiable in a photo you upload; and
• it is accurate and not misleading.

We may remove content that breaches these Terms or the law, and can suspend accounts that repeatedly do so. Any user can report content from the profile or trip screen it appears on.

You agree to use Patuva respectfully and lawfully. In particular, you agree that you will not:

• engage in any illegal, dangerous or reckless behaviour;
• harass, threaten, discriminate against or abuse other users;
• publish inaccurate or misleading Trip, Road Trip or profile information;
• use the Platform for commercial transport, taxi services, or any purpose other than genuine cost-sharing; or
• attempt to interfere with, disrupt or circumvent the security or operation of the Platform.

As a Driver you are solely responsible for ensuring that:

• you hold a valid driving licence and valid insurance, and your vehicle is roadworthy and legally compliant;
• you operate on a lawful cost-sharing basis and do not run a commercial transport service; and
• you do not apply surge or commercial pricing. Prices on the Platform are platform-set, and the Platform must not be used to profit from transporting passengers.

The Platform is provided “as is” and “as available”, without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, to the maximum extent permitted by law.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Patuva is not liable for the conduct of any user, the safety, quality or outcome of any ride, delays, no-shows, accidents, loss, injury, or disputes arising between users. Because Patuva only connects Drivers and Passengers and is not a party to the journey, the Driver and Passenger are responsible for the Trip itself.

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Patuva and DSU Blacksmith DOOEL Skopje, and their directors, employees and agents, from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities and expenses arising out of your misuse of the Platform, your breach of these Terms, or your violation of any law or the rights of any third party.

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will revise the effective date above. Your continued use of the Platform after any change means that you accept the updated Terms.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of North Macedonia. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms or your use of the Platform shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the competent courts of Skopje.

If you have questions about these Terms, contact DSU Blacksmith DOOEL Skopje at legal@blacksmith.works.