Car sharing

Why car share?

Car sharing is when two or more people share a lift. By sharing a lift, you'll spend less money on fuel and car repairs (so more cash to spend on the things that really matter), it might even mean that you don't need an expensive second car; it's sociable and helps keep Shropshire's roads less congested.

Finding a good match

• Ask your workplace to set up a car sharer notice board so that people can post their car share details (Shropshire organisations can apply for grants to fund this).
• If you have access to the internet, you could post your details on a dedicated car sharers site such as liftshare which offers a free service. For further information follow the link on this page.
• The ideal match may not live in your area, but may pass close to your home on their way in to work. So look further a field if necessary.

First meeting

• When you have found a suitable match, make contact to agree a time and place to meet using their e-mail address or work phone number. Avoid exchanging home addresses (for security reasons)
• Start on a trial basis - share for one or two days a week, then build up as it suits you.
• Arrange to meet in a public location such as a train or bus station.
• Inform a friend or family member who you will be travelling with, when and where to.
• Bring proof of ID - so you know you're travelling with the right person.

Ground rules

• Draw up a schedule: who will drive, when will you share? Will you alternate daily, weekly, monthly?
• Draw up a list of your car sharers' contact numbers, and agree on a procedure for notification or alternative drivers in the case of illness.
• Agree to some simple ground rules for example the volume of music, smoking or non smoking and eating.
• Decide how long the driver is expected to wait for the passengers to arrive.
• If you need to work late at short notice - be considerate and give as much notice as possible to your car share partner.

Charging

It may be that you take it in turns to drive, in which case you don't need to bother with costs, if one person drives more than the other then split the cost of each journey, if one person never drives, and is always the passenger, then it's fine to charge them, as long as you don't make a profit. Divide the cost per journey equally between the numbers of people in the car, including the driver.

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