Car Sharing: A Solution to Rising Fuel Costs and Rush Hour Hell?
| Published: 6th October 2008 21:10 |
A recent national AboutMyArea survey discovered just 25% of those questioned currently car share.
So what is car sharing all about, and how it can benefit our pockets and the environment?
We have all done it, sitting in the car in gridlocked traffic, wishing there was a better solution to travelling to and from work. Car sharing is a great way to cut the traffic on our roads, save money on fuel and also provide a greener way to travel. It's also a more sociable way to travel - instead of listening to the drone of your engine, you can chat to your car buddy and get to work in a much better mood!
How does it work?
It's a simple concept - share the car ride to and from work with someone who lives close to you and works in the same area too. Share the cost of petrol and parking between you, saving you both money. The more people sharing one car the cheaper the journeys would be and even more cars could be left at home, meaning less pollution is being emitted.
Increased car sharing would significantly cut down the traffic on our roads and could save you money. According to Care Share Birmingham, sharing a journey just one day a week could save you £200 a year!
Money is not the only thing you could save when car sharing. The environment would be significantly helped if there were less cars on the roads. Emissions from transport currently contribute to 25% of the U.K total carbon dioxide output. Car sharing could therefore help to reduce the damaging effects on the ozone layer and the rest of the environment
The government is currently supporting the car sharing initiative by creating dedicated car-share lanes. The lanes operate during the busiest times of the day and offer cars with 2 or more passengers the chance to by-pass the rest of the traffic.
Several local authorities have created schemes which encourage employers to register their details so that employees are able to contact people who they live close to.
Give it a try?
Why not use AboutMyArea to help you find a car buddy? Leave a comment below to let others know where you travel to and you could be saving money and helping the environment before you know it!
What do you think?
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