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Sunday 16 January 2011

Car-Share To Save Money


By Ben Aulakh

With the price of petrol hitting an all-time high Gloucestershire County Council is encouraging people to think about car sharing.

Across Gloucestershire, petrol prices that were originally ranging from around 122.9p up to 131.9p per litre have gone up by a further 3.5 pence this week.

To save commuters an extra few pounds at the petrol pump the council is publicising its car share website, www.carsharegloucestershire.com.

Car sharing is when two or more people share a car and travel together, allowing people to benefit from the convenience of the car, whilst alleviating the associated problems of congestion and pollution.

Sarah Avery, Gloucestershire County Council's Transport Planner said, “Petrol prices are over 14 per cent up on this time last year.

“However, the typical commuter who car-shares every day saves around £800 a year, while those who manage to fill all their spare seats can save in excess of £2,000.”

The free service is already being used by thousands of people across the county, allowing people to match up with others who make the same daily journeys.

By taking turns with the driving, or giving someone a lift in exchange for a contribution to the fuel costs can save commuters money.

The site also contains a cost calculator, allowing people to work out how much money they can save by car sharing.

Cllr Stan Waddington, cabinet member for environment and transport added, “Car-sharing can make a huge difference to your wallet, but there are still many drivers who are unaware of how easy it is to find people to share with.”

“The service is completely free to use, and it only takes five minutes to sign up and search for suitable matches; you could be sharing by tomorrow."

To register for free, go to www.carsharegloucestershire.com or find out about public transport in Gloucestershire at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/travel. 

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