Shropshire Council launches Shropshare, a new county-wide car share initiative
For many in Shropshire there is no easy alternative to using the car but now there is an easy way to take the sting out of the cost of driving. Shropshire Council have launched ‘Shropshare’; a new county-wide car share initiative which is free to join and use for individuals and organisations alike.
Car sharing is simple – sharing a car with people who live near you and travel to similar places at similar times. Car sharing allows you to keep all of the convenience of using the car but sharing with just one person immediately halves the cost of fuel and parking, reduces your carbon footprint and makes travelling much more sociable.
Did you know that travelling alone in a car costs five times as much per mile as flying to New York?* No-one would pay for five seats on an airline when they only needed one, but it’s surprising to realise that those empty car seats can end up costing as much or more.
Councillor Claire Wild, Shropshire Council Cabinet member for Highways and Transport, said:
“Car sharing is a simple and effective way for individuals and businesses to reduce their carbon footprint and save money. We already have businesses successfully using the ‘Shropshare’ website but the key to the schemes success is getting lots of individuals to sign up and start car sharing.
“The big sticking point for car sharing has always been the difficulty trying to find and contact other people in your area who are making similar journeys. The new car share initiative overcomes this by using a map-based search system to quickly find local members who match your travel profile so you can contact them and set up a car share arrangement.
“I encourage as many people as possible to sign up to the scheme and give car sharing a try. Please allow time for the number of members to grow and encourage family and friends to sign up too. The more people that sign up, the better ‘Shropshare’ will be.”
The ‘Shropshare’ system is very flexible so whether you work shifts, make a journey into town once a week, or commute every day it will look for members who match your travel times and preferences. You don’t have to own a car; non-drivers can register and car share as passengers. Businesses and other organisations can set up their own private group to make it easy for employees or members to search for matches within the organisation.
It’s easy to sign up – go to www.shropshare.co.uk, click on the ‘register’ tab and follow the instructions. Because ‘Shropshare’ has been developed in partnership with Telford & Wrekin Council and is part of the national Jambusters network it is also possible to find car sharers for longer journeys across the UK.
*based on the average cost of an economy ticket from the five major airlines.
