Benefits of car pooling

Car Pooling

The New South Wales Government is pursuing a range of initiatives to reduce car dependency and improve air quality in accordance with the NSW State Plan. Car pooling or ride sharing, particularly for journeys to work and where public transport is limited, is a great way to reduce single occupant vehicle travel.

Car pooling is the sharing of rides in a private vehicle among two or more individuals. It involves the use of one person's private or company vehicle to carry one or more fellow passengers, either by using one car or rotating cars.

Benefits of car pooling

For individuals:

* Reduced travelling expenses and need for second car.
* Improved travel times through use of transit lanes.

For the community:

* Reductions in vehicle emissions.
* Reductions in traffic volumes and congestion.
* Provides an alternative, cost effective travel choice.
* Improving the environment.

For companies that arrange car pooling:

* Maximising use of employee parking.
* Encouraging sociability between your employees.
* Reducing stress in driving to work.
* Improving company image.
* Can be included in staff benefits package.

Potential options for car pooling

1. With your friends and neighbours.
2. With your work colleagues. Talk to your employer about commencing a car pool scheme for your workplace. Maybe there are other work places around you that may also wish to join your scheme.
3. Through your University of TAFE - Talk to your university administration or student union about commencing a scheme for students.
4. Park and Ride. This has potential for car commuters who travel long distances to their workplace each day within Sydney metropolitan area to park and ride together, ie. Central Coast, Wollongong and Blue Mountains.

Carsharing

Carsharing is a model of car rental where people can rent cars for short periods of time, often by the hour. The organisation renting the car can be a commercial organisation or a cooperative of individuals and is practiced in over 600 cities worldwide. The RTA recognises that car share parking offers an alternative transport facility that conforms to government transport and environment strategies.

The RTA has produced a technical direction that specifically offers guidance on the provision of on-street car share parking that is located on local roads.