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Council hovering back to the future with carpoolingCARPOOLING was not so long ago a quaint folk story half-remembered from the 1970s, but with the morning gridlock escalating at a pace of petrol prices, Manukau City is thinking retro. |
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Council hovering back to the future with carpooling
| CARPOOLING was not so long ago a quaint folk story half-remembered from the 1970s, but with the morning gridlock escalating at a pace of petrol prices, Manukau City is thinking retro. By CHRIS SUGRUE Thursday, 06 July 2006 Howick and Pakuranga Times CARPOOLING was not so long ago a quaint folk story half-remembered from the 1970s, but with the morning gridlock escalating at a pace of petrol prices, Manukau City is thinking retro. HOVER is an acronym for High Occupancy Vehicles in Express Routes – formalised carpooling. It involves commuters driving to a purpose built parking complex to carpool with others going to the same destination. The council’s transport committee is to discuss the concept with Paul Minett of Trip Convergence Ltd. Mr Minett is pitching the scheme his company has devised in a submission to the city’s transport strategy. While the council says it isn’t going to take a position until it’s completed the strategy, it’s all ears again to carpooling. HOVER differs from standard carpooling in that nothing is prearranged. Commuters converge at the complex, then are directed to designated areas where they can pick up others or park and ride themselves. Manukau City’s senior transportation officer Steve Patton says carpooling levels in the Auckland region are low compared to similarly sized cities. The Auckland Regional Transport Authority is promoting and facilitating carpooling schemes to companies. The council is considering this and other traffic alleviating initiatives as part of a travel demand management strategy to be developed soon. Source: http://www.times.co.nz/cms/news/2006/07/art100012243.php |
