Curious about carpooling? Here are some of the most common questions regarding carpooling, from where it came from to how you can benefit!
What is carpooling?
Carpooling is the act of sharing a car to achieve a common journey. For example, people who live close enough to each other to enable shared transport, in addition to having a shared workplace, can easily ‘pool’ together in one car.
Where did carpooling originate from?
Carpooling was first seen in the 1940s during World War II, particularly in the US, due to fuel rationing. It’s popularity often rose and fell depending on the oil and energy requirements of the time, yet it has always remained a staple option in many areas.
In the 70s, large companies such as Chrysler and 3M also started encouraging such programs within their own workforce. Even today, almost 1 in 10 Americans carpool to work.
What are the benefits of carpooling?
There are many benefits to carpooling, not least of all the money saved – because everyone contributes to costs, the overall expenses is much lower than when individuals drive themselves.
Similarly, carpooling reduces individual stress, lowers congestion at the busiest times and places, and even encourages networking and new friendships. It’s also much better for the environment, as it greatly cuts down on emissions.
You can learn more about the benefits of carpooling here.
Why is carpooling good for the environment?
Carpooling is good for the environment because it lowers emissions produced by driven vehicles. It ensures that as many people as possible use a car, rather than taking their own transport. If every 4 people carpool, for example, 75% of traffic congestion would be eliminated.
It also cuts down on traffic congestion and idle vehicles, which further reduces the impact on the environment.
Should you consider carpooling to work?
Carpooling to work is a great way to reduce costs and emissions during a routine trip. If there are enough workers at a company, it’s very likely many live in nearby areas and can readily benefit from a carpool initiative.
What carpooling apps are available?
If you’re looking for a public carpool app, products such as Bablacar and Waze are fantastic for one-off trips. However, because they rely on other drivers providing an opportunity, they are not the best for daily trips. For this, a corporate solution is needed.
Poola works because it enables workforces to connect together and arrange themselves into carpools. It’s also a great way for the company to spearhead an initiative and incentive workers as well.
