Consider carpooling, for your wallet and the planet

With 22% more cars on the roads and a 80% higher petrol price than 5 years ago, the demands and stresses of private transport are growing fast, which has severe implications on individuals, business and the environment.

The millions of empty seats on our roads provide a viable solution to congestion, affordable mobility and emissions reduction. SA’s 2nd Carpool Week, 6 – 10 October 2014, will promote the benefits of carpooling, raise awareness and encourage participation by South Africans.

Says Daniel Claassen from FindaLift and catalyst of Carpool Week: “Carpooling doesn’t mean you cannot have a personal life and flexibility, carpooling one day a week will already have a noticeable positive impact. You can save R68 by sharing 100km with another person, while befitting the environment and freeing up road space. Consciously look for more opportunities not to travel alone. Sometimes we only have to try something once before we ask ourselves: “Why haven’t I been doing this for years?””

Join South African celebrities and 1000s of people who will have fun and raise awareness by sharing a ‘Carpool Selfie’ during Carpool Week. It is really easy to participate: Take a ‘carpool selfie’ with a friend, family member or colleague during Carpool Week and share it on your social media with the hash tags #giveitago #carpoolweekSA OR email it to selfie@findalift.co.za. Not only will you help raise awareness, there are great prizes to be won like ‘cash for fuel’ and shopping vouchers.

Carpool Week will encourage fewer cars on the road which not only reduces pollution and saves fuel but creates a culture of sharing and social cohesion, help us raise awareness by participating.

Get involved:

• Help with the build-up to Carpool Week – share this on social media now Take a ‘carpool selfie’ during Carpool Week, 6-10 Oct – share with #giveitago #carpoolweekSA
• Create awareness, encourage participation & discuss carpooling. You can do so via social media, articles, direct marketing and other mediums.
• Participate yourself, walk the talk and encourage all your colleagues who make use private transport.
• Sponsor a prize (+R1k in value) and increase your brands visibility and commitment to social and green issues. It will also encourage more active participation in Carpool Week.
• Take a ‘carpool selfie’ during Carpool Week, 6-10 Oct – share with #giveitago #carpoolweekSA and win prizes
• Join the Carpool Week Facebook event page here.

Driving facts & figures:

• The price of petrol has gone up 80% over the last 5 years
• It costs R164 more to fill a 50l tank now than it did 2 years ago
• There are 22% more cars on our roads than 5 years ago
• 33% of South Africans travel to work by private vehicle, mostly 1 person per car
• 2% of SA carpool to work, leaving millions of empty seats on the roads

Cape Town:

• 300 000 private car commuters travel in and out of Cape Town central each day
• Private transport consumes 87% of the central city’s total transport energy
• Transport contributes 40% of its carbon emissions
• Cars account for 54% of passenger-kilometres
• Cape Town can reduce its energy demand by 6 670 TJ by carpooling

Visit www.carpoolweek.co.za for more information, or download the carpool week 2014 awareness Toolkit here.