Everyone dreams of living a good life in a big metropolitan city, but as soon as we hit the city roads, all that enthusiasm just vaporizes. We all hate those long hours of traffic jams. In some cities, the situation gets so worse that in peak traffic time, the average speed comes down to less than 5km/h. We can all blame our governments for not providing a decent infrastructure to handle this mad traffic. But have we ever realized that we can also play our part in reducing the congestion problem? Carpooling can be a big answer to our major problems such as pollution, congested roads, noise pollution and so on. Here are some major carpooling benefits-
1. Reduces stress on the road infrastructure
With the ever-increasing population and vehicular density on the road, constructing more roads cannot be an answer every time. We must invest in ways of reducing car density on the road. By carpooling, it is estimated that we can reduce the number of hours we spend on the road daily. It is estimated that we spend almost 1.5 hours daily on the road. This not only causes less productivity, but is also an invitation to health risks. By carpooling, we can cut almost 30% of vehicle traffic, which will effectively reduce the traveling time by 40%. The freed road can then be utilized effectively by emergency services like ambulances.
2. Greener environment
Carpooling benefits influence a positive chain reaction in the whole ecosystem. With lesser vehicle density on the road, the number of noxious gases released by the vehicles daily, like Carbon monoxide, Nitrous oxide, etc, will automatically reduce. With an ever-increasing carbon footprint, we can witness the effects around us in the form of hot summers, unpredictable weather, and other recurring natural disasters. We are living under a cloud of smoke these days. Carpooling can go a long way in inculcating sustainable development goals.
3. Increased savings
On average, we spend between 25-50k INR on fuel each year. Now imagine investing that kind of money in a long-term investment scheme and the returns generated. By adopting carpooling, we can have huge savings and not worry about fuel hikes. It can easily cover a major part of the EMIs that you are paying towards your vehicle. If your personal car is running very low annually, then you can avoid buying a car itself, and invest the money somewhere else. Remember, a vehicle is a depreciating asset and requires a fixed cost of maintenance yearly.
4. Relaxed journey
Driving a car on a congested road is the most stressful thing a person can do nowadays. It not only drains your energy but is also an invitation to many medical problems. With carpooling, you can commute in a relaxed manner and arrive at your destination full of energy. What’s more, carpooling provides you with an opportunity to communicate with other people and make new connections. Carpooling helps you get up at a reasonable time and you do not have to worry about traffic anxiety. You can also increase your work productivity and make a good balance between work life and home life.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that by adopting carpooling, we can hit many targets in one go, but sadly, it is very difficult to persuade people to adopt these measures and make them see carpooling benefits. In a country like India, we associate our vehicle with pride and prestige. We see public transport with shame and are not ready to adopt carpooling. We have to push about the benefits of carpooling and educate more people about it. It is a long way to go, but not impossible.
