Is it time to try something new? Life changes such as retirement, moving home or starting a new job might prompt you to consider a lifestyle change; transport could play a role in this. Here are a few thoughts about how shared transport might fit in with a new phase of life.
Children starting school or college
When the young people in your life start school or college, the chances are that other people in your local area will be thinking about the school run too. Lift sharing might be a good way to share the cost and time of travelling to the same place each day. You could arrange to share lifts informally using a Whatsapp group with other parents and carers you know.
If you travel straight to work after the school run, you could try to find a school run lift sharing buddy who might also want to travel in your direction, and continue sharing your commute to work.
You could also consider a lift sharing rota for after-school clubs and groups like Scouts.
Children moved out or off to university
Combat empty nest syndrome by trying something new! If there’s been a change in how often your household car is used, it might be a good opportunity to consider car sharing. You could do this informally (click here for our top tips) with someone you know, or hire your car out to others some of the time, much like the “AirBnB” model. Using an official app such as HiyaCar makes bookings, insurance and payments easy, and gives you peace of mind that common questions about car sharing have been addressed.
If you’re looking to earn a little extra cash to help fund the university years, you could also consider sharing your domestic EV charger, as described below.
Starting a new job or moving to a new area
Get to know people in your new workplace or neighbourhood by getting involved with lift- or car-sharing, or sharing your EV charger at home. It’s a great way to make connections in your community and reduce your carbon footprint.
You could talk to your workplace or social group about using Kinto Join, an app which makes lift-sharing simple.
If your home has a domestic EV charger, you could share it with neighbours and make a small profit by using CoCharger, an app which matches hosts to people in need of somewhere to charge their EV.
Retirement
Retirement might mean a number of changes to your travel patterns. You may travel more, less, or differently than you used to.
A community car club may suit those who are looking to use a car fairly regularly, but without the cost of owning a vehicle all the time. Car clubs allow short-term vehicle rental, normally by the hour, to members of the club, meaning that you still have access to a vehicle when you need one, but without the hassle and cost of owning one full-time. In some cases there are discounts for local residents, for example at Buxton Car Club members can join for just £10 per year. Click here for more information.
If you own a car and use it differently than you used to, it might be a good chance to consider car sharing.
Make a positive change
A change in circumstance may present opportunities to change your travel habits, meet new people and take climate action in simple ways.
Let us know your questions or stories of trying new travel habits at travelgroup@
