Communal Commute

“It’s easier and cheaper to get to work. Otherwise, Emma would have to drop me off and it’s quite a long way out of her way,” he says, adding that there is no public transport to the relatively new industrial estate where he works. “Plus, I start and finish an hour earlier than her, so it works out a lot better for both of us for me to carpool.”

Although Kris shares the ride with a colleague, an alternative would have been to hook up with someone working nearby. To do this, he’d have gone online.

Let’s Carpool is an example of many websites designed to connect people seeking to share rides to and from work.

“It’s particularly designed for people who work or live in areas not easily accessible by public transport,” says Claire Pascoe, Let’s Carpool coordinator for the Greater Wellington Regional Council.

“You register at letscarpool.govt.nz, which is a very safe and secure site. You key in a few details about where you want to commute to and from, and all the searching for carpooling matches is done for you. You can then contact the people who you think would be the most suitable carpooling partners.”

Claire says there are many reasons for people to carpool. “Save money, reduce emissions, meet new people...”

All things Kris is quick to back up when asked if he would recommend carpooling.

“Yeah, definitely,” he says. “And the more people do it, the less traffic there is at rush hour.”