Transport Minister Rosie Winterton backs car sharing
24/01/2008

Rosie Winterton

Transport Minister Rosie Winterton has today urged UK employers to do more to encourage carsharing among their staff.

"Car sharing helps reduce congestion, tackle pollution and carbon emissions and importantly, cut the costs of traveling...I encourage employers to consider whether introducing a car sharing scheme for their organisation could help them reduce their carbon footprint and provide quicker, more convenient journeys for staff."

The announcement was made following today’s publication of the first ever survey carried out by the Department of Transport into current levels of carsharing within the UK. Key finding of the survey were:

  • 61% of those surveyed had taken part in some form of car sharing in the past month
  • 28% said the lift took place at least once a week
  • 25% of those receiving a lift said the last journey was for work/business related
  • 1% of respondents said they were a member of a formal lift sharing scheme run by their employer or other organisation.

Both the survey and the Ministers comments are welcomed by Ali Clabburn, founder of the UK’s leading car share scheme www.Liftshare.com which has been in operation for 10 years and now has more than 209,000 members registered who between them are saving the UK an estimated 15,000 tonnes of CO2 each year.

"I'm delighted that this research has been undertaken and that more recognition is being placed on the role carsharing can and must play in our sustainable transport network. The benefits to a business of operating a staff carshare scheme are numerous. We at Liftshare are already working with more than 600 employers throughout the UK and demand looks set to rise as more employers adopt a car share scheme to save thier businesses money and reduce their carbon footprints."

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