Kiwis Keen to Try Their Hand at Carpooling

Kiwis Keen to Try Their Hand at Carpooling

Talk to anyone who lives in a major New Zealand city, and it’s highly likely their first complaint is about the traffic.

To celebrate Kiwi Carpool Week (8-14 June 2015) and to understand more about Kiwis’ travelling behaviour, Neighbourly.co.nz and Let’s Carpool conducted a poll across Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch asking for interest in carpooling – and discovered some pleasing results.

Almost half (49.8%) of respondents said that while they'd never tried carpooling they were ‘interested in giving it a go’ while 27.6 per cent said they carpool regularly or occasionally. Just 22 per cent claimed ‘carpooling isn’t for me’.

Let’s Carpool, a New Zealand local government carpooling initiative, encourages Kiwis across New Zealand to save money on petrol and parking by joining forces with their friends and neighbours for the daily commute to and from work. Members specify their origin and destination, and Let’s Carpool matches them with fellow members living nearby who take similar journeys.

Benefits of Carpooling include:

• Saving money – By carpooling you not only reduce your fuel costs, but your car maintenance and parking costs too.
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• Saving time – Carpoolers, in Auckland, get access to special transit lanes, taking valuable time off your commute. Some employers also offer premium parking spots as an incentive for carpooling.
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• Saving the world – Sharing a ride reduces our dependency on oil and lowers harmful gas emissions.
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• Reduce traffic – The more people that carpool, the less congestion on the roads.
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Neighbourly co-founder Casey Eden says Neighbourly is another platform that makes it easy for people to connect – especially helpful when you’re on the hunt for a driving buddy.

“We often have the same bugbears as our neighbours, and the big one – especially for those of us who live in major cities – is the time it takes to get to work every morning,” he says.

“Neighbourly is designed to bring entire communities together. Once people know more about each other, barriers are broken down and neighbours feel more comfortable about helping each other out – and spending more time with each other.

“The ability for neighbours to travel to work together is a lifesaver for many commuters and one we really encourage our members to explore. Not only does it save money and provide company, it also lets commuters drive down the transit lanes!”

For more information about carpooling visit www.letscarpool.co.nz.

To join Neighbourly visit www.neighbourly.co.nz.

Anyone who signs up to Let’s Carpool between 1-30 June, is in the draw to win a VIP experience to a a mystery Auckland concert. For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/letscarpoolnz

ENDS

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