Hitching a ride

Congestion is a problem in all major cities around the world, including those in South Africa, where public transport isn’t necessarily seen as a first choice. In our country, 32 percent of commuting to and from work is done in private vehicles – mostly one person per car – with only two percent of South Africans carpooling. So, the questions are: can we make better use of the six million cars that are already using our roads and can more journeys, perhaps, be shared?

According to FindaLift, an organisation that encourages and enables South Africans to make better use of cars through simple online tools (which match members on similar routes) the answer is yes! All that’s needed is a change in travel behaviour, a breakthrough in perceptual barriers and the formation new sustainable habits – which won’t be an overnight miracle …

However, to get the fully utilised wheels rolling, the company is launching South Africa’s first FindaLift Carpool Week – set to run from October 7 to 11 – which aims to encourage individuals to try fellow commuting.

This also fits in perfectly with Transport Month, as it will: raise awareness of the social and environmental benefits of carpooling for both businesses and individuals, answer questions around safety and insurance, give tips on sharing best practice, offer the opportunity to learn from the experiences of FindaLift’s members and discuss how we can move forward as a country.

To promote participation in Carpool Week, FindaLift will give away fuel vouchers and other prizes. It has also pledged to plant a tree for every 250 new journeys registered on www.Findalift.co.za.

So lets band together to save the environment, save some money and make new friends along the way.