Carpooling for the planet

Carpooling (also known as car-sharing, ride-sharing, lift-sharing and covoiturage), is the sharing of car journeys so that more than one person travels in a car.
By having more people using one vehicle, carpooling reduces each person's travel costs such as,toll, and the stress of driving. Carpooling is also seen as a more environmentally friendly and sustainable way to travel as sharing journeys reduces carbon emission, traffic congestion on the roads, and the need for parking spaces. Authorities often encourage carpooling, especially during high pollution periods and high fuel prices.

How it works ?

Drivers and passengers offer and search for journeys through one of the several mediums available. After finding a match they contact each other to arrange any details for the journey(s). Costs, meeting points and other details like space for luggage are discussed and agreed on. They then meet and carry out their shared car journey(s) as planned.

Carpooling is commonly implemented for commuting but is also popular for longer one-off journeys, with the formality and regularity of arrangements varying between schemes and journeys.

Forms of Carpooling

Carpooling also exists in other forms:

• Slugging is a form of ad-hoc, informal carpooling between strangers. No money changes hands, but a mutual benefit still exists between the driver and passenger(s) making the practice worthwhile.

• Flexible Carpooling expands the idea of ad-hoc carpooling by designating formal locations for travelers to join carpools.

• Real-time ride sharing allows people to arrange ad-hoc rides on very short notice, through the use of smartphone applications or the internet. Passengers are simply picked up at their current location.

What fools indeed we morals are
To lavish care upon a Car,
With ne'er a bit of time to see
About our own machinery!

Carpooling is slightly inconvenient, but it saves tremendously on transportation costs, fuel prices and a good way to spend time with friends.