Auckland Transport Blog

*** This is a guest post by Christian Williams ***

It certainly isn’t glamorous. It doesn’t steal the limelight, and it doesn’t exactly have a huge cult following. But carpooling has big payoffs and has the potential for major growth.

Why doesn’t it get the attention it deserves? For many people, car-pooling falls short of the bike lanes and hyper-connected public transport network transporting the healthy, happy herds to their daily slaughter (ahem, I mean jobs) – the utopic vision of the carless city. On the other end of the spectrum, glamorous, sparkling new highways – the car is the hero of the day, and all that is needed is a government willing to meet our infinitely growing demand for the freedom and liberty afforded by our own loyal autos.

It is the clash of the titans, fighting the battle for our hearts and imaginations. Which way to Utopia? Squashed in the middle of these policy giants is the unsexy middle ground – the compromise. Recognising that – for the moment at least – our cars aren’t going anywhere in a hurry (in rush-hour or in our travel habits), perhaps it is time to look for that compromise. It’s called carpooling – combining the convenience of a car, with the inconvenience of having to talk to a stranger.

There are plenty of reasons why people aren’t giving up their cars. Too far to walk, too dangerous to cycle, no suitable public transport alternatives, too stuck in the old habits. In fairness, it could many years before many of our cities and towns have fully functional public transport networks or safe cycle infrastructure. And on the supply side, it will be just as long before our highways will be freed of congestion. For the moment, we are stuck with what we’ve got. So it is worth looking for the quick wins, to make the best out of New Zealand’s bad transport situation. Carpooling I believe is one such opportunity.

Why? What are the benefits to carpooling?

Quite simply, sharing a ride can help to split some of the costs of driving. While letting a stranger into your car is going against mum’s recommendations, most carpoolers do turn out to be quite normal, and you may actually get some interesting conversations in during the journey, or all going well, maybe even make a new friend or two. Social pleasantries aside, it is the cost savings that provide the major draw card for most. Splitting the costs of parking, petrol and maintenance makes a big difference. It leaves that little extra cash in the back pocket for something more enjoyable (like stamp collecting, for example).

The majority of cars heading to and from work each morning are carrying only the driver. If only one out of twenty of those single drivers could hop in with another driver, congestion would be seriously wounded. The spin-off’s would be wide – small petrol savings for every commuter, health savings from cleaner air, and large piles of dosh earmarked for highways potentially freed up for other uses.

So let’s at least try and fill those empty seats! This coming week (10^th – 16^th June) is actually Kiwi Carpool Week, which is a national campaign designed to raise the profile of carpooling. There are prize giveaways for people who sign up, and a bigger chance than ever before that you will find the perfect match. So why not give it a go? It is quick and easy to register, and it’s free. Visit letscarpool.govt.nz and help get us moving again.