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Carpooling for a cause

Photo: R. Ragu

Joint effort Carpooling is starting to catch with corporate companies who encourage their employees to participate in this trend

With an abrupt rise in the fuel prices during the time of cost-cutting, Hyderabad’s working class has started adapting itself more to carpooling. This concept is getting more popular by the day as it is now the need of the hour. Too many of us engage in private travel, driving countless miles every day and pumping tons of toxic fumes into the atmosphere. But this thought can save you big bucks on fuel, wear and tear on your vehicle and reduce all the related nasty environmental implications associated with driving.

There’s more. Carpooling acts as the perfect remedy to kill one’s boredom during the journey to work. “It’s fun to travel long distances together and build my network,” says Agniwesh Thakur, working with Infosys. Recently, companies and private firms have started introducing facilities for private carpooling. Various MNCs also encourage their employees to share a ride with colleagues living in the same locality.

“Carpooling has proven to be cost efficient and has brought down my fuel expenses to one third,” says Sanjay Sharma, another Infosys employee. Adds IT professional Pio Correia, “Work at times can get really hectic, and carpooling can lessen the frustration by travelling with a group of carpool buddies.”

However, as DGP Vijay Kumar of Cyberabad points out, there needs to be more acceptance for the concept to work. “ “Only then will it make any difference to traffic congestion in the city and keep a check on remaining factors,” he says. He adds, “The cops have joined hands with such companies and are doing their best to spread awareness about this concept.”This new concepts has brought a lot of advantages along with it, such as saving money, decongesting roads, and social and emotional networking. It also ensures a safe and peaceful journey.

Carpooling concept is just not limited to four-wheelers. Bike riders don’t mind being a part of it as well. “I always prefer sharing my bike with a pillion rider, because it’s safer when we travel late at night,” explains Kanika Singla, who works with IBM.

As Shades employee Anuj Shah says, imagine the hundreds of thousands of vehicles that would be off the road every day if only people started carpooling. “I hope to see a lot more of this in the years ahead!” he adds.

So if you have to travel long distances daily and you’ve rejected the idea of carpooling in the past, perhaps it’s time to consider it again.

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