Carpooling for 6 months at Ruter. This is what we’ve learned.

More people sharing cars means fewer cars on the road

Since its launch, Ruter’s ride-sharing service has generated 5,084 passenger trips and removed as many as 1,600 car journeys from the roads. That might not sound like a huge amount, but behind the numbers lies something important: these are trips that, to a large extent, would not have happened without this facilitation.

A full 95% of the passengers had never carpooled on their own. That tells us that people don’t organize carpooling themselves, but they’re happy to do it when someone facilitates it.

Motorists choose carpooling

In the beginning, it was mainly public transport users who tried the service. But the picture has changed. Over the past week, 41% of passengers would otherwise have driven alone by car. In Ås, where Ruter has worked most systematically, this share is over 75%.

This is precisely what makes carpooling more than just a supplement to public transport. Many of the passengers would spend on average 45 extra minutes on their trip if they were to take the bus or train. For them, carpooling is not a choice between two good options; it is the difference between using a car and having a real alternative to the car.

Cost-effective and climate-friendly

Carpooling is not only smart for traffic, it is also highly cost-effective. The compensation to the driver is only NOK 1.36 per passenger-kilometre, which is a fraction of what other public transport costs. At the same time, emissions are reduced, and each person saves money on fuel and parking.

When cars are filled up instead of driving one by one, the roads are relieved and it makes a difference. Less congestion means better traffic flow for everyone, including the bus.

Collaboration with large workplaces

Ruter collaborates with a number of major employers in Oslo and Akershus to help employees find each other on their way to work. Among the partners are Akershus University Hospital (Ahus) and NMBU in Akershus, and Bærum Hospital, IKEA and Storebrand in Bærum, all workplaces with employees commuting from many different directions.

An offering on the rise

This week, the Storting is considering a parliamentary proposal on increasing the use of carpooling, and Ruter is ready to contribute. Carpooling is already an established form of travel in Europe with over 18 million users, and in France there is a national goal of 3 million carpooling trips per day by 2027.

Curious about carpooling?

Is your workplace curious about carpooling? We regularly hold information meetings for employers.