Social, Environmental, and Financial Benefits of Carpooling

According to research done by the University of Waterloo, the key to making ride sharing work is to actually enjoy the people you carpool with. A professor of management engineering at the University of waterloo, Bissan Ghaddar, wanted to get a better understanding about what keeps people from carpooling, According to the 2011 National household, only 17 percent of people got to work by carpooling, the other 83 percent drove alone Bissan Ghaddar said that although people are drawn to carpooling for the cost savings and environmental benefits, they tend to be hesitant because they don’t want to have to sit in awkward silence.

However, carpooling saves you money. It allows you to share the cost of gas and parking, which then results in your expenses being cut by nearly 50%. The more people in your carpool, the more you save. Also you will not only save money, but it will also help reduce the costs we all pay towards the construction of roads, road maintenance and air pollution related health costs.

Moreover, it’s better for the environment. Having less cars on the roads means that there are reduced Greenhouse Gas emissions and leads to improved air quality. According to Environment Canada, air pollution that is caused by ‘vehicular travel’ is linked to a number of health concerns. These health concerns include, respiratory diseases, cardiovascular disease, allergies and neurological effects. Carpooling helps reduce the risk of these health concerns for you and everyone else. Research also suggests that carpooling is less stressful than driving alone. Its is convenient and improves commuting skills. It provides convenience when compared to driving alone, including less stress and an added bonus of companionship. Carpooling groups can also set their own unique rules that meet their needs for carpool best. It works best for people who live in an area where transit service may be either limited or non-existent and when compared to other options it may be a better fit for your schedule. It also provides a great way to make new friends.

Carppoling reduces traffic congestion. This is a long term benefit and will be more visible once more people start carpooling. More people carpooling = less cars on the roads = less traffic = faster travel time = less CO2 emissions. In 2016, 4 out of 5 people drove to work, out of these people, only 15% carpooled, the other 85% drove alone. The potential to save increases as the average number of people per vehicle also increases. In Toronto, for example, for every 100 vehicles on the road, only 8 carry a second passenger. But, if 12 of more of those drivers carried a passenger then we would save $750 million a year in operating and infrastructure. Governments who have recognized these benefits have invested in infrastructure such as carpool parking lots (individuals meet and begin a carpool) and carpool (high-occupancy vehicle) lanes. Employers also benefit from carpools, especially in areas where there is limited or no transit service, because the amount of workers that have access is broadened. For example, in lower wage occupations and industries, it can be very difficult to have more workers, since many will not be able to afford driving alone. Also, it makes less searching for parking. One study found that between 8 and 74 percent of traffic is attributable to drivers looking for parking. Instead of driving themselves, if people use ridesharing instead (carpool) then the need for parking and the number of vehicles searching for parking will be largely reduces, relieving congestion. Rideshare companies also replace taxis, so this will lead to less congestion caused by taxis driving around looking for fares.

There are two ways you can ride-share: 

• Casual ride-share: ideally suited for a commuter who has a varied work schedule and is looking to rideshare from anywhere to 1-5 days per week. Casual riding allows you to work out your own cost-sharing arrangement while using either your own or someone else’s car;
• Formal ride-share: ideally suited towards a commuter who has a fixed work schedule from place A-B and is traveling to and from work for at least 15km. With formal ride-sharing, you either drive or ride in one of your own vanpool fleet vehicles and pay a monthly fare based off of the number of total kilometres the vehicle has traveled. There are also no long term contracts to sign, so if your situation was to change you would have to give a 30 days notice addressing that you are leaving the vanpool.

To conclude, carpooling has its advantages and disadvantages. However, in nowaday world it can give more benefits rather than harm. At least it will make an impact on saving our environment. 

Works Cited:

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