If you have to use the car, those regular trips to work, the market or school can be done with others and you’ll have more fun, use less and spend less.
If you have to use the car, regular trips we take to work, the market or school can be shared with others (co-workers, neighbours, other students) to reduce our car use. Express lanes, car pool parking spots at work, and online resources to connect you with other people travelling your way (not to mention increasing fuel costs) make car pooling the de jour transport mode of the naughties. Car pooling to work alone is estimated to save the average person from $575 – $3500 p.a. depending on distance, car and number of poolers.
How to do it now!
Car pool to work. Send an email around work asking if anyone lives close to you and if they would be keen to alternate driving to work with you. You could even set up an online registry!
There are a number of online resources to aid you in finding your ideal car-pooling team:
- Eco Bello
- MyCarPools – Free
- TheCarPool – Free
- OzCarPool – $22 p.a.
- Icarpool – $25 activation fee
The Our Living Coast program will be developing a local car pool website for use by local residents. Expected to be launched in late 2010.
Car pool to shop. Speak to you neighbour and explore if they’d be keen and if its convenient to share the regular trip to the supermarket or local food markets.
Use the bus to take the kids to school. Driving kids to school by car, whether individually or pooled, poses a serious safety problem outside school gates and creates a rush hour during school terms. It is a big issue up here.
Why this action is important?
Transport accounts for a significant portion of most people’s personal CO2 emissions. Reducing the amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gasses entering the atmosphere is critical if we are to address climate change and the environmental havoc it is causing. In addition, by car pooling you can save hundreds of dollars per year, have to drive less and hopefully get to know some interesting people.
