Europe’s largest car pooling network says its services transported more than one million people every month during 2011; a year when increased use of smartphone connectivity as well as economic pressures helped drive a new era of mobility.
According to the network, the growth in popularity in ridesharing platforms highlights a paradigm shift in the way commuters are experiencing transport, as they look to cut costs and do their bit for the environment.
Markus Barnikel, CEO of Carpooling.com says; “In 2011, carpooling.com transported 1 million people every month. The average distance of rides was 200km. To put these figures in more relatable terms, this means that in a year we could have relocated the whole population of San Diego city to Los Angeles more than 9 times.”
With 3.5 million registered users today, Barnikel’s internet business has seen its popularity rocket across all its operational countries. Since 2010, for instance, there was a 320 per cent increase in the number of rideshares in France and 180 per cent in Italy.
According to Barnikel; “Today when people think of mobility, they don’t think of a vehicle. They‘re looking for the best way to get from A to B. They’re looking for a solution to their mobility demand. Carpooling networks are not a replacement for public transportation systems but rather the perfect complement. Unlocking the idling capacity of cars is a simple solution with enormous economical, ecological and social benefits. Since the creation of carpooling.com, for instance, 375 million litres of gas were saved and 725,000 tonnes of CO2 were prevented from entering the atmosphere.”
The growth of ride sharing platforms shows how travel behaviour and the attitudes to cars is changing. In a recent study of 18-24 year-olds, three quarters said they would rather live without their car than their smartphone.
With more than 1 billion cars in the world, traffic congestion is becoming an increasingly problematic issue – causing significant fuel wastage, increased pollution and costing billions to the world economy. By 2050, the average urban dweller will spend roughly 106 hours (or 4.4 days) a year stuck in traffic jams – three times more than today. Ridesharing is one solution to help ease congestion. With smartphones, social networks its getting ever easier to take advantage of the opportunity to share a car journey.
