Mobility can get substantially more efficient. Traffic jams can be avoided and the negative impact on the climate can be reduced by increasing vehicle occupancy levels.
PTV SWISS AG has created a software platform called RideShare, which travellers can use to enter all their routes and find a suitable car pool. RideShare automatically identifies car pools based on reliable location and time related criteria as well as the candidate preferences. This means that users do not need to engage in laborious searches for a matching route partner. Car pools are also found, in which the passenger shares only part of the route with the driver.
Based on this platform, PTV SWISS AG offers a number of services. The aim is to generate situations with a critical mass of route offers and requests, such that there is a high-enough probability to find car pools not just for long distance journeys, but for instance also for the daily commuters or visitors of large events.
A first service is based on the internet and matches offers and demands in Switzerland. It is open for all routes with start or end point in the participating area. Interested municipalities can be affiliated for an initial amount with the participating area. A partnership with RideShare assumes that the municipality actively promotes the ride sharing to win a large number of participants so that car pools can be formed effectively. If the municipality is successful, it is refunded for the savings in carbon dioxide emissions, based on an agreement between RideShare and the Swiss Climate Cent Foundation.
Under the label “RideShare Enterprise” a number of specific services are offered to companies, to install car pooling for the employees on their route to work and back home. With this offer, companies can not only make a contribution towards sustainability, but use their parking space efficiently and promote better team spirits too – apart from the fact, that everyone who takes part in RideShare saves costs. For company sites located anywhere in the world, RideShare is able to find the optimum car pools among the employees based on a list of the employee’s home addresses (rendered anonymous). Even with just 100 employees per site, a considerable effect can be noticed. As an example, a company close to Thun with 300 employees commuting by car was analyzed, assuming a maximum number of 3 passengers per car pool and a maximum detour time for the driver of 15 minutes. Up to 68% of the cars could stay at home (with a corresponding saving of parking lots) and about 4500 kilometres driving (54%) or 0.9 tons of CO2 could be saved every day.
Companies or company clusters may order customized versions of the RideShare application based on their specific needs, to continuously update the car pools among their employees, or may join a generally accessible RideShare service (currently only available in Switzerland). Furthermore the RideShare platform can be used to set up services in various countries, designed according to the local needs. For instance, a service could be offered on mobile phones, it could interface with public transport or could be linked to a payment facility. The high performance and flexibility of the RideShare platform opens a new perspective for efficient car pooling worldwide.
For further information: www.rideshare.ch
