Carpooling and ridesharing reduce the number of vehicles on the road, save money, and are environmentally friendly. They can be organized informally or through centralized programs, but may not work for everyone due to irregular schedules or personal preferences.
Instead of four individual employees driving four separate vehicles to a common destination each morning, a practice known as carpooling would involve a single vehicle transporting all four workers to and from their shared workplace. A college student driving to a concert several hours away from campus could also take advantage of a carpool program and share driving costs with several other concertgoers. Ride sharing, a form of car sharing, puts potential drivers in touch with potential passengers to reduce the total number of vehicles on the road.
Ride sharing or car sharing is not a new concept, but its appeal seems to be more evident in times of higher fuel prices and a tighter economy. Carpooling is also seen as a more environmentally friendly alternative to single-driver commutes in vehicles that create pollution on overcrowded streets. Many cities encourage carpooling by providing special High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes for cars carrying more than one passenger.
There are several ways to participate in a carpool program. Some co-workers may come up with their own informal carpool schedules or carpool with each other, with a designated driver agreeing to pick up other passengers along the way. Others may meet in a designated carpool parking area and designate one vehicle for the remainder of the trip. The driver would only be responsible for returning the other passengers to that carpool location.
Some cities and universities offer organized rideshare programs for their citizens or students. A centralized rideshare office accepts applications for both drivers and passengers, then provides this information to interested parties. For example, a driver who wants to participate in a city’s rideshare program would include their usual travel destination and departure time on a form. Others who might need a regular ride to that same general destination would also fill out a request form. The central rideshare office would contact both parties and allow them to discuss specific details.
This type of rideshare program could also work for a one-time trip or a trip to a popular destination. Several interested students might share a ride to your hometown, for example, or a concert might find a ride to a distant location. Ridesharing programs could also help people find rides to medical appointments, outlets, or job interviews. Many rideshare programs also include emergency transportation to a passenger’s own car or home if an early departure is necessary.
However, carpooling may not be an ideal solution for everyone. Some people may have irregular work hours, for example, or choose not to rely on other drivers for their own timely arrivals and departures from work. Those employees and others who have regular commutes may find that avoiding the hassles of driving on congested roads every morning is the best advertisement for a rideshare program.
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