Want to save some money? Tired of fighting traffic? Try carpooling.

London Carpools logo

Carpool Zone is now London Carpools, a free service that matches potential carpoolers. It is available to all Londoners and anyone who regularly commutes to and from London. Sign up today!

What is carpooling?

Carpooling is an alternative to driving alone. Just share a ride with other people who live or work near you to save money and time - and for convenience. Carpooling also makes sense for trips to the grocery store, shopping mall, or to another city. You'll save money and have fun too!

Benefits of carpooling

save money on gas, parking, repairs, and other car-related costs
socialize, read, or even sleep
contribute to air emission and other pollution reductions
have driving choices: those who prefer to drive can and those who prefer not to drive can be passengers
spend less time commuting and contributing to traffic congestion (as fewer cars are on the road)
catch up with friends as you go to and from work

Who should carpool?

Everyone! Carpooling is easy and just requires a little advanced planning.

Carpooling is a great choice for getting to and from work or school, especially for those who do not need their car everyday and have a consistent work schedule. You can carpool every day or just a few days a week. Even one day a week means a 20 per cent reduction in weekly wear and tear on your vehicle.

Employers

If you are an employer interested in offering a tailored London Carpools subgroup to your employees or if you are interested in offering other commuting options, contact the City of London's

Lucan residents

There is another option for residents of Lucan commuting to downtown London. Murphy Bus Lines offers a Commuter Bus service on weekdays. To find out more, visit Murphy Bus Lines.

Aboutown NorthLink

Aboutown NorthLink has services that connect London and surrounding communities. A full list of routes is available on their website.

How do I find a partner?

Sign on for free at

This service will help match you with other carpoolers. You should sign up even if you already carpool. There may be others to share your driving costs with. The more people are registered the more chances of finding a carpool partner.

You can also ask a family member, friend, neighbour or colleague. Post your request on the company's internal bulletin board.

Before you start carpooling ...

We recommend that you arrange a meeting with your fellow carpooler(s). You may already know the person but if your ride match is not an acquaintance have a pre-commute meeting by telephone or in a public place to discuss the arrangements. Agreement on a few simple points will ensure that your carpool stays a happy one, including:

who will drive
how costs will be shared
pick-up and drop-off times and locations
seating arrangements
how long to wait if someone is late
what to do if someone is sick
if eating, drinking, or smoking will be allowed
if the radio will be played, and what stations or type of music
if side trips and stops are allowed
expected car maintenance and cleanliness

Did you know?

Driving is expensive. The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) estimates that a 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt LT four door sedan driven 18,000 km per year costs $9,430 to own and operate and a 2008 Dodge Caravan SE driven 18,000 km per year costs $12,425 to own and operate. By carpooling, you can cut your operating costs and save a bundle. Here is the breakdown on costs from the CAA:

CAA 2008 Costs

Carpooling with one other person immediately halves the greenhouse gas emissions for that trip. On average, a carpool saves 2,000 litres of gasoline a year (Pollution Probe, 2004).
Driving 10 per cent less - by walking, cycling, carpooling, or taking public transit - can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 0.2 to 0.8 tonnes per year, depending on the vehicle (carpooltool.ca, 2004).
By carpooling, you can cut your operating costs from 50% to 75% and save a bundle (carpooltool.ca, 2004).
According to a 2002 survey, approx. 84% of Londoners travel by private vehicle during the afternoon rush hour (City of London, 2004).

Idling

Carpooling takes cars off the roads, reducing traffic and making a positive impact on our environment. If you have to drive, remember that idling for more than 10 seconds wastes fuel. If all Londoners reduced their idling by just one minute every day:

Over 1.5 million litres of gasoline would be saved every year!
$1.9 million would be saved every year!
Greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by almost 3,800 tonnes every year!

Here are other reasons not to idle your engine:

Waiting 10 minutes for your car to heat up increases your gas use by almost 20 per cent. The best way to warm up your car is to drive it.
Take extra care around schools and daycares – turn off your engine to protect young children.

If you're going to be stopped for more than 60 seconds – except in traffic – turn the engine off.

For more information about idling, view the Idling Calculator

Here's what others have to say about carpooling:

"I am the driver and I carpool 3 other people. I really enjoy our time together. All the conversation and the laughs are very enjoyable."
_{Barbara, London
resident}
"Carpooling saves me money, but the bonus is that I get to enjoy the company of friends on the way to and from work."
_{Maggie, London resident}
"I chose to carpool to and from work to save money and time. I can't complain about the daily laughs and gossip. Getting to work just wouldn't be the same any other way!"

_{Melissa, London resident}
"As part of a 3 person carpool from St. Thomas, I save $1,920 a year on fuel costs. Savings on the environment is priceless. I am now one of the converted."
_{Peter, St. Thomas
resident}