Could you car share?

After spotting somebody on Twitter complaining they'd had to pay £4.50 for a 10 mile bus journey "would've been cheaper to drive - grumble", I wondered just how many motorists that passed the bus stop would have been going to that part of town, the unhappy Tweeter finally got to.

Take that thought a stage further and if you travel to a fairly busy industrial area or shopping area to work, how many of your 'neighbours' live on your regular commute run?

Car sharing's not for everyone, but if you were able to offer someone nearby a lift in of a morning or evening ( as long as you're both flexible, it wouldn't have to be every journey , then you could both halve your commuting fuel costs.

That's worth a little ground work sourcing prospective sharers isn't it?

If you work for a largish employer, you could start by asking your co-workers if they live on or beyond your route?

To make such a car sharing scheme a success, it's important to lay some simple ground rules like:

Last time to notify the driver if you're not going to be making the journey. Nothing worse than waiting for someone who doesn't turn up. (that goes for the driver too).

Taking your turn with the driving (if that's feasible).

Being prepared to be a few minutes flexible on departure times (at both ends of the working day)

Being prepared to trial it and if it doesn't suit, then saying so openly.

Have a look online as well. There are a few journey sharing websites round - particularly when the travel concerns longer distances or events like exhibitions, conferences, concerts and sporting events.

These sites have some useful guidelines for both driver and passenger including a reminder of common sense etiquette, that will make your car-sharing experience one you'll want to repeat.

photo credit: greene connections