Mixed results around the world for carpooling

Imbert said a carpool policy would be introduced for Port-of-Spain and other congested areas this year. In the initial phases, “moral suasion” and public education would be used to promote the concept, he revealed, but if these did not work laws would be introduced to restrict access to certain areas by cars occupied by only one person.

Carpooling, also known as ride-sharing or, in the UK, lift-sharing and even, confusingly, as car sharing, is shared use of a car for commuting to work, often by people who each have a car but travel together to save costs. In the United States it is estimated that on average, one car carries 1.2 passengers. Carpooling facilitates use of a single car by several people — neighbours or work colleagues In countries where carpooling is widespread there are sometimes special facilities, including designated pick-up points and high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. HOV lanes have been used on highways in the US since 1969. They provide a single lane on a road that can be used only by cars with multiple passengers. The first HOVlane set up in the United Kingdom was in Leeds in May 1998. HOV lanes have also been introduced successfully in Australia. Carpooling started in the UK during World War II when there was petrol rationing and people had to share vehicles to get around. It developed rapidly in the US in the mid-70s as a result of rising fuel prices. In recent years, carpoolers have begun to make much more extensive use of the Internet and software support systems. With the recent advent of mobile phones and SMS, there is a push to integrate these technologies into more flexible systems.

Carpooling has potential to improve the capacity of congested traffic corridors in cities, with minimal investment in infrastructure. Higher occupancy rates also can reduce consumption of oil thereby reducing political and economic risks, reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, reduce common pollution, and save considerable expenses from gasoline, oil, tyres, auto depreciation, tolls, parking, and in some cases insurance.

Another advantage is that carpools may provide social connections in increasingly disconnected societies.

Some larger carpools in Europe and North America offer “sweeper services” of late pickup options for people having to stay longer at work. One form of backup is an arrangement with a taxi service.

Disadvantages include the fact that planning and operating a carpool system requires considerable technical and management expertise. Also, drivers carry the additional burden of potential legal action from passengers in case of an accident.

In addition, carpooling combines many of the disadvantages of public transportation, including lack of privacy, not on-demand, with the disadvantages of the automobile — low safety, high fuel consumption and high cost of labour.