Astronomical fuel prices appear to be driving an increasing interest in lift-sharing or carpooling as it is also known.
According to leading journey sharing website, liftshare, it took two years for its membership to reach 10,000 after it launched in 1998. Since then its rate of sign-up has sky-rocketed with more people signing up in the last month than signed up by year 2000. Altogether 10,889 new members joined the online network during October.
According to the website’s founder, Ali Clabburn, the website’s rise in popularity can be directly correlated with the relentless rise in fuel prices:“Petrol was 61p a litre when liftshare began, and as we’ve watched petrol prices steadily increase since then, we’ve also seen a steady growth in people wanting to share the cost of driving”.
“But reaching nearly 11,000 new members in one month is also a tribute to the growing number of organisations around the UK which work hard to encourage their staff or community to share cars rather than drive alone.”
One enthusiastic lift-sharer, Sarah Maitland, summarised it neatly: “Car-sharing is a genius idea. It’s saving me money, saving mileage on my car and gives me the chance to meet new people.”
A total of 475,000 people have now joined the liftshare network since it was launched. Members use the site to search for commuters making similar journeys to the one they want to make, or advertise a car journey they intend to undertake and are happy to share. The website helps to pair up these drivers with suitable passengers. In return, the passenger pays towards the cost of the trip, making it a cheaper way to travel for all, and a useful source of income for car owners.
