Commuter Carpool Saves Time and Money

If there’s one thing that Manila is notorious for, it's the everyday road traffic congestion. In fact, it’s such an ordinary experience that people often factor it into their daily appointments; set an allowance of an hour or so solely for waiting in traffic.

The government has offered many solutions to address this problem, and one of these was "car pooling." The proposal suggests that every privately owned vehicle (such as cars, SUVs, etc.) should be banned from travelling on main roads unless it has at least one passenger on board. That sounds easy, right? Just get someone to ride with you, and you should be cleared.

However, many still don’t buy this idea and think that this is not the answer to our current traffic congestion problems. If you’re one of those people, steer clear of negativity as you read on because we'll be giving out info on a few time- and cash-saving benefits that could change your mind about carpooling.

What is carpooling?

Carpooling is sharing a ride; so, instead of travelling alone, you take in another passenger with you in your car.

The government has offered many solutions to address this problem, and one of these was "car pooling." Yet, many expressed different opinions about the proposal. This system basically eliminates the other person's need to commute by public transport or take his own vehicle. The owner of the vehicle or the driver can just then drop the passenger off upon reaching his preferred destination.

The authorities believe that carpooling can reduce the number of vehicles, which would ease congestion on major roads and cut travel time.

If you are the vehicle owner, how is this beneficial to you?

Sharing a ride provides economic benefits to the vehicle owner, especially with the recent spate of fuel and other goods and services price increases. So, it makes sense to carpool and share fuel expenses with your riders. Car owners save on fuel expenses while helping others get a more convenient ride to work.

How does it benefit the commuter?

In terms of monetary concerns, the commuter gets to share the fuel bill with the vehicle owner. Though this may seem a bit more expensive than paying ten or twenty pesos when in public transportation, commuters actually save a lot of time carpooling than in a jeepney.

Public transport means making a lot of stop-and-go's, which adds to one's travel time. If a commuter carpools to work, he doesn’t have to worry about the public utility vehicle stopping every now and then to load and unload other commuters.

It’s also safer compared to riding in public vehicles. A jeepney's design, for example, makes it easy for criminals to access and steal passengers' belongings. It’s design also limits movement, so you may not be able to react quickly and appropriately if someone snatches your bag.

Cars, on the other hand, with their design and safety features, provide a safer and more convenient way for you to travel.