Lift share
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Limousine, minivan or three-wheeler, if you’ve got an empty seat in your car then why not fill it with a friendly face and share your journey with someone going in the same direction as you?
There are 10 million empty seats on our roads every day, and you could save over a tonne of CO2 each year by filling one of them[1]. Make a new friend, reduce your carbon footprint and ease congestion – all on your way to work.
Why?
Social life
A massive 86% of car commuters drive alone[2], but sharing journeys means no more miserable Monday mornings. It’s a great way to meet new people - you might even make a friend.
Money
With petrol prices soaring ever higher, sharing a lift can give your wallet a much-needed break. If you travel 10 miles to work every day, sharing journeys could save you £667 per year[3]. Nuff said.
Environment
Over a quarter of the UK’s carbon emissions come from transport[4] - our journeys are having a huge impact on the Earth’s climate. Sharing your commute could save over a tonne of CO2 per year[5], the equivalent of a return flight from London to New York.
And cars release a host of other noxious pollutants. Share your journey and improve the atmosphere for everyone.
Congestion
On average, there are just 1.2 people in each commuting car[6]. Sharing journeys means less traffic on the roads and more spaces in the car park.
How?
It couldn’t be simpler. You don’t have to live near your colleagues - there are loads of schemes that make it easy to find people going in the right direction. Here are just a few:
- Compare and Share is a one stop shop, pulling together rides from all the main car sharing sites
- Bla Bla Car - Europe and UK
- goCarShare - UK; great if you are travelling to and from festivals
And it doesn’t have to be the commute to work; you could share a lift to the shops, to college or to a concert. Iron out details such as time and whose turn it is to drive, then jump in the car and get going!
Want to do this action? Head over to our list of Doers to find someone to pledge for.

[1] http://www.nationalcarshare.co.uk/ncs/press
[2] http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http:/www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/personal/factsheets/traveltowork.pdf
[3] Department of Energy and Climate Change
[4] http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/stats/climate-change/4817-2011-uk-greenhouse-gas-emissions-provisional-figur.pdf
[5] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7009776.stm average commute, assume 46 working weeks/year and 0.54kg/mile from carbon equivalence spreadsheet
[6] http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http:/www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/personal/factsheets/traveltowork.pdf
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