A journey shared is a problem solved
From:
By: George Binning
Students living far from University are now able to arrange lifts into campus thanks to a new system set up as part of Sustainable week.
Viola Retzlaff, Glasgow University’s Travel and Transport Co-ordinator, stressed that the system had advantages for students as well as for the environment.
She said: “As well as helping people without cars, the aim of the scheme was to reduce congestion and emissions by encouraging single occupancy divers to share cars.”
Students who use the scheme will feel the economic benefits as well. Students who do not own a car can link up with those who do. Car sharers are able to split the price of petrol and can apply for a joint University parking permit.
The system enables students to share trips on public transport, saving money by purchasing group travel tickets and provides information for shared journeys by taxi, by bicycle and on foot.
Upon joining the network, students are encouraged to register any journeys they plan to take. A list of these trips is available to others on the system, they can then organise their journeys together.
According to the University’s Travel Plan statistics for 2007, 42% of students surveyed used public transport, 9% used a car on a single occupancy basis, and 4% were in a car sharing agreement.
To take part in the scheme, log on to: www.gla.ac.uk/travelplanning/journeysharing.
