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Carpool

 
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Carpooling (also known as car-sharing, ride-sharing, lift-sharing), is the shared use of a car
Automobile

An automobile or motor car is a wheeled motor vehicle for transportation passengers, which also carries its own car engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally f...
 by the driver and one or more passengers, usually for commuting
Commuting

Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. Institutions that have few dormitory or near-campus student housing are called commuter schools in the United States....
. Carpooling arrangements and schemes involve varying degrees of formality and regularity. Formal carpool projects have been around in a structured form since the mid-1970s.

Carpoolers use pool member's private cars, or a jointly hired vehicle, for private shared journeys.






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Carpooling (also known as car-sharing, ride-sharing, lift-sharing), is the shared use of a car
Automobile

An automobile or motor car is a wheeled motor vehicle for transportation passengers, which also carries its own car engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally f...
 by the driver and one or more passengers, usually for commuting
Commuting

Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. Institutions that have few dormitory or near-campus student housing are called commuter schools in the United States....
. Carpooling arrangements and schemes involve varying degrees of formality and regularity. Formal carpool projects have been around in a structured form since the mid-1970s.

Carpoolers use pool member's private cars, or a jointly hired vehicle, for private shared journeys. The vehicle is not used in a general public transport
Public transport

Public transport comprises passenger transportation services which are available for use by the general public, as opposed to modes for private use such as automobiles or vehicles for hire....
 capacity such as in car sharing, share taxis or taxicabs. Carpooling is also distinct from the use of a company/government or private vehicle by several pool members but at different times, for economic or other reasons, such as in a military motor pool, but might involve single occupancy.

Carpooling reduces the costs involved in repetitive or long distance driving by sharing cars, sharing rental charges, or paying the main car owner. Some countries have introduced high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes to encourage carpooling and use of public transport, to combat rising traffic congestion
Traffic congestion

Traffic congestion is a condition on networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased Queueing theory....
. In wartime, carpooling was encouraged to save oil. In reducing the number of cars on the road, carpooling decreases pollution and the need for parking space, and in a global perspective, reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Shared driving carpooling can also reduce driving stress. A form of ad-hoc carpooling between strangers is called Slugging
Slugging

Slugging, also known as casual carpooling, is the practice of forming ad-hoc, informal carpools for purposes of commuting, essentially a variation of Carpool commuting and hitchhiking....
. No money changes hands, but a mutual benefit still exists between the driver and passenger(s) making the practice worthwhile.

In some cases, companies or local authorities will introduce facilities to encourage private carpooling, often as part of wider transport programs. These can include central listing facilities, defined pick-up points, preferential parking and general advice. This has increased through use of the Internet
Internet

The Internet is a global network of interconnected computers, enabling users to share information along multiple channels. Typically, a computer that connects to the Internet can access information from a vast array of available server and other computers by moving information from them to the computer's local memory....
, mobile phones and other software support systems. A third party rideshare agency may also provide services to enable one off or regular carpooling in defined areas. In the "dynamic ridesharing
Dynamic ridesharing

dynamic ridesharing , denotes a special implementation of a carpooling service which enables the formation of carpools on very short notice. Typical for this type of carpooling is...
" concept, a separate system performs a carpool match automatically for approval by the travelers.

Inflexibility in carpooling can arise in accommodating en-route stops or changes to working times/patterns. Some larger carpools offer 'sweeper services' with later running options. A further backup can also be a 'guaranteed ride home' arrangement with a local taxi company.

See also


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