Build More, Spend Less with Carpooling?

Developers can build more and spend less with ridesharing

When it comes to the moving parts of a major infrastructure project, ridesharing isn’t usually top of mind for managers who are looking to reduce costs. But consider this—as hundreds of workers descend on the site of a large development and its surrounding suburbs, congestion can become a considerable challenge.

Local governments take the issue of congestion seriously. Many now require developers seeking the go-ahead for their project to prepare travel plans that specifically demonstrate a proactive approach to its management. As a result, developers may need to purchase land for the construction of expensive parking infrastructure that can accommodate their workforce.

One solution is the ‘park-and-ride’ concept, where a developer purchases land away from built-up suburbs and shuttle workers to and from the project site. However, this strategy still requires appropriate land to be acquired. In addition, bus services can, in many cases, use as much energy per passenger kilometre as the average SUV.

No doubt the primary cause for congestion is our preference for single or low-occupancy vehicles—like the one most of us drove to work today. The solution may lie in ridesharing.

Why not transform single-occupancy vehicles into a ridesharing solution that takes vehicles off the road and eliminates the need for extra parking? Adopting ridesharing vehicles that transport multiple passengers to their worksite at once also has the benefit of building a strong sense of community among workers and reducing CO2 emissions.

For developers looking to reduce costs and CO2 emissions by adopting ridesharing, think about the following:

• low-vehicle occupancy contributes to parking costs
• ‘park and ride’ services shift costs elsewhere
• the cost of missed work days and road accidents
• fewer vehicles will reduce CO2 emissions.

When projects run into the hundreds of millions, the cost of mitigating congestion can quickly add up. But for an organisation with the ability to incentivise the modal shift, ridesharing will significantly reduce the costs of parking infrastructure, simply by minimising the vehicles travelling to and from a site.

While most ridesharing companies focus on the financial transaction attached to the delivery of their service, Liftango offers businesses across any sector of the industry a unique solution that’s free for staff. It instils a strong community focused on reducing emissions and boosts engagement.