Next time you’re alone in your car commuting into work, and are stuck at the usual high-traffic spot, take a moment to check the other cars around you to see just how many other people travel to work on their own.
Seems pretty senseless, doesn’t it? One car per commute; all those cars taking up so much space on the roads and making the morning drive hellish for one another, all those empty seats they contain! Is there something that can be done?
Car-sharing schemes are growing increasingly popular with commuters who want to lessen the daily nightmare of driving to work. Starting a carpool is as easy as contacting a few colleagues or friends who work in the same area and agreeing to set a weekly rota for collections and drop-offs around the city – or even just to split the cost of petrol. New forums pop up on the internet every day with drivers who want to share the burden offering their services.
If you’re unsure about just randomly befriending people you’ve spoken to on the internet then there are also plenty of properly-policed sites which match potential drivers and passengers by age, gender and location. Women have the choice not to ride alone with unfamiliar male passengers should they so wish; you can also opt out of a lift if you’ve spent one too many awkward mornings in silence with Classic FM on the radio and an urge to jump out at the next red light.
There is a great deal of benefits to be had by car-sharing; not only will you each save on petrol by making fewer total car journeys, but less journeys also means less harmful emissions from each car. With high levels of participation, having less cars on the road would make the journey much less stressful with the rush-hour traffic, and best of all – on your rota’s off days you won’t have to make the drive yourself and could instead have a quick snooze before you get to work.
With so many benefits to be had – for peace of mind, for your wallet and for the environment, not to mention the fun social aspect you could enjoy from travelling with new friends – car-sharing is sure to grow in popularity.
