Car pool and car share
Sometimes sharing a car or driving someone else's car can be a better choice than buying and maintaining your own car.
If you use a car on a regular basis, car pooling can be a good travel solution. If you rarely need a car, you could consider selling it and car sharing instead.
Car pooling
It is much more efficient to drive a full car. Car pooling means you share your car with people who are going in the same direction as you.
Car pooling can reduce your transport costs when you car share with two or more people.
Find people to car pool with
People from your local area could be travelling to the same place as you on a regular basis. You might find people who you can car share with from different parts of your life. These could include:
- work
- school drop-offs and pick-ups
- sports and hobbies
- community groups and meetings
- church and charity groups.
Talk to the people around you and find people nearby to share a ride with.
Start a car pool
To start a car pool:
Decide on the pick-up and drop-off points for each passenger for each day. Once you know the schedule, you can agree on which car you are going to use and how often.
Agree on how the costs will be covered for petrol, tolls, parking and running costs. If everyone involved has a car, it can be easier to take turns using a car than to divide the costs.
Car share
If you don't need to have a car all the time, you might be able to car share. Car sharing lets you use another person's car or a car from a fleet parked in your local area or in the city.
Car sharing companies
There are a number of car share companies operating in the main Australian cities. Check online to see who offers car sharing in your area and what the conditions of use are.
You might also combine a car sharing service with public transport and be able to sell your car. This will save you money on car registration and maintenance as well as parking and fuel costs.
Booking a car
Once you've joined a car sharing service, it's easy to book and use a car when you know you'll need it.
You can usually book a car online. You'll book the sort of car you need, where you'll be picking it up, how long you'll have it for and where you'll return it.
The fee you pay to drive the car means that you don't have to spend time organising maintenance, insurance and registration. It can also help keep the number of cars on Australian roads down and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions from transport.Sell your car
If walking, riding, public transport, car sharing or car pooling are better travel options for you, you could sell your car. Selling a car will save the costs of petrol, insurance, registration, parking and maintenance.
If your local area has a suitable car share system, you can let someone else handle the costs of car ownership. You'll just be paying for what you use.
More information
See the following resources for more information about car sharing and car pooling:
- Travelsmart Car pooling
- Look online for the details of car sharing services in your area
Why do it?
- Cut your personal transport costs
- Reduce the stress of driving and maintaining a car
- Help make our streets safer, less polluted and quieter
- Cut back your transport related greenhouse gas emissions
Did you know?
On average, people who car share drive 50-70 per cent less than car owners.
Page last modified: 19 May 2010