On Monday 16 September, 2024, Mobilityways, a social enterprise and specialist in reducing commuter emissions, announced the launch of a new engagement project worth £1.2 million. This project aims to assist local authorities in promoting carpooling within their regions.
Mobilityways has been working with local authority clients for over 25 years, providing services such as Liftshare communities and other climate tech solutions. The company has also been a contributor to the Department for Transport’s (DfT) “Lift sharing: local authority toolkit.” The new project was developed with an understanding of the financial constraints faced by local authorities, as well as their potential to make a significant impact on the adoption of carpooling. This is important because transport is the largest source of emissions in the UK, with single-occupancy-vehicle commuting accounting for 15 billion kg CO2 (82% of total commuting emissions).
To drive this impact, Mobilityways is offering free co-branded Liftshare pages and promotional resources to help local authorities engage their residents and encourage carpooling. Graeme Banister, Mobilityways’ local authorities sector director, states, “There are 47 million empty seats on our commute every day, and carpooling has the biggest potential for emissions reduction out of all travel behaviour changes.”
Studies conducted by Mobilityways have revealed that 90% of people have at least one person they could carpool with within walking distance of their home, and 80% have at least 10 potential carpooling matches. If these individuals were to carpool, it would result in a reduction of 35% of all commuting emissions, making it the most significant contribution to emissions reduction compared to any other travel mode shift.
Banister adds, “The numbers are astounding. With over 300 billion miles driven on UK roads each year, improving vehicle occupancy by just 10% would save the public £2 billion in fuel costs alone. Local authorities have the potential to facilitate this change, and we have seen their willingness and ability to do so.”
Apart from the cost savings, carpooling also helps in building stronger communities by connecting people and providing access to transport for those who do not have a car or access to public transportation. Through this project, Mobilityways aims to increase the impact of carpooling in providing affordable transport options.
Local authorities also have a significant influence on anchor institutions and businesses in their regions. Together, they can work towards encouraging commuting behaviour change to support businesses’ net zero goals and reduce congestion.
Mobilityways will be launching this new service at a webinar on 19th September. For more information, please visit https://pressat.co.uk/.
