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Carpool, in simple words, is an activity of sharing a car with known or unknown people heading to a similar destination. Working professionals usually carpool to work together or students carpool to college. Carpooling is not a new concept, it has its roots back in World war II. The economic necessity of rationing fuel and conserving rubber gave birth to the idea of carpooling by the American government.
As per Wikipedia, carpooling got back in demand in the mid 1970s due to the 1973 oil crisis and 1979 energy crisis. Now it has been decades, the carpooling movement is spread all over the world, many companies especially in the developed countries are making colossal profits on carpool services. However, due to Covid -19 pandemic, carpooling has seen a drastic downfall to follow the norms of social distancing. Nevertheless, carpooling has become the need of the hour due to various benefits associated with it. It is no more only a way of saving cost but provides great assistance in maintaining overall ecological balance.
These days carpooling is becoming increasingly popular in the workplace. Therefore, let’s dive into some of the major benefits of carpooling:
Shared Cost: The first, utmost, and immediate benefit of carpool is, it divides the total cost. Sometimes, if the ride is shared between more than a couple of individuals, it could even be cheaper than public transport. It is not only the travel fare that reduces but also the cost of maintaining a vehicle that can be brought down to a great extent. AAA estimates that it costs an average of $9,282 per year, or $773.50 a month, to own and drive a car. When you drive alone to work, it means you’re also going it alone for the cost of fuel, maintenance, and repairs. Moreover, it can aid in reducing the traffic jams. Sharing the ride means more spaces on the road and fewer traffic jams.
Reduces Pollution: Another direct impact of carpool is plummeting pollution. Less cars on the road means less traffic and fewer carbon footprints, less carbon footprints means a healthier environment to live in. Carpooling can help to bring down the carbon footprints into half, just imagine the power of sharing a ride. Pollution due to cars add many folds to the existing pollution in the environment.
Build Connections: Networking has become one of the most happening and popular words in recent years, and its tremendous impact is felt far and wide. One of the key benefits of carpool is it provides avenues to build and establish a network. How often do we meet new people or interact with colleagues from different departments in informal spaces? Carpool gives that opportunity in your routine life without making much effort to build a network.
Improved Punctuality: One of the lesser known benefits of carpool is improvement in punctuality. When you drive to work on your own, nothing drives you to follow a schedule, you tend to get bored or lazy or just don’t enjoy driving. Carpool helps you to subdue those phases and improves your punctuality at work. When you know your coworker will arrive at a set time to pick you up or you have to pick them up, you have a much stronger motivation to be on time, hence punctuality and attendance at work are enhanced Thus, sharing rides becomes one of the motivators to be on time, be punctual, and be professional.
Be the change you want to see in the world!
When you decide carpool you’re deciding that there will be one less car on the road today. It may sound like an irrelevant contribution to the major goal but remember every drop of water makes a sea. In 2009, researchers at the University of Illinois estimated that if one driver in every 100 added just one additional passenger during their commute, more than 7.2 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions could be avoided annually.
Apart from the above mentioned carpool advantages, there are umpteen benefits of carpooling within your organization or within your community. It’s not only a good idea for you and your fellow riders but also for mother earth. POOLit Carpool offers carpooling with verified professionals for a trustworthy commute. Download the POOLit app and carpool with professionals near you!