Mobilityways Launches £1.2 Million Project to Promote Carpooling in Local Authorities
Monday 16 September, 2024 – Today, Mobilityways, a social enterprise and specialist in commuter emissions reduction, has announced the launch of a new engagement project worth £1.2 million. The project aims to assist local authorities in promoting carpooling in their regions.
Having worked with local authority clients for over 25 years, providing Liftshare communities and other climate tech services, Mobilityways understands the financial pressures faced by local authorities. They also recognize the significant impact that these authorities can have on the uptake of carpooling. Currently, transport is the largest source of UK emissions, and single-occupancy-vehicle commuting accounts for 15 billion kg CO2, which is 82% of total commuting emissions.
In an effort to drive change and reduce emissions, Mobilityways is offering free co-branded Liftshare pages and promotional resources to local authorities. These resources will help them engage their residents and encourage them to share car journeys.
Graeme Banister, Mobilityways local authorities sector director, explains the reasoning behind the project: “There are 47 million empty seats on our commute every day, and carpooling has the biggest latent potential for emissions reduction out of all travel behaviour changes.”
Through their research, Mobilityways has found that 90% of people have at least one person within walking distance of their house who they could carpool with, and 80% have 10 or more potential carpooling matches. If all of these individuals were to share rides, it could save 35% of all commuting emissions – the largest proportion out of any travel mode shift.
Graeme adds, “The numbers are astounding. With over 300 billion miles driven on UK roads each year, improving vehicle occupancy by just 10% would lead to the public saving £2billion in fuel costs alone. And we know local authorities have the willingness and ability to enable this change.”
Aside from the financial benefits, carpooling also helps to build stronger communities by connecting people and providing support for those who do not have access to a car or public transportation. By working with local authorities, Mobilityways hopes to increase the impact of carpooling and provide affordable transportation options for all.
Local authorities also have the power to influence anchor institutions and businesses in their regions. By collaborating with these entities, they can address commuting behavior change, support businesses’ net zero goals, and reduce congestion.
Mobilityways will be launching this new service at a webinar on September 19th. Interested parties can find more information and register for the webinar on their website.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.