Car sharing is when two or more people share a car and travel together. Car sharing is a simple way to cut the costs of fuel, cut congestion and pollution, and cut the stress of driving. Parents who normally drive their children to school from similar areas are put in touch with each other to share lifts.
What does the school need to do?
Send a letter to parents asking if they would like to take part in a car share scheme (please ensure the letter reminds parents that they must have suitable child seats fitted for all children they are carrying and that their car must have up to date MOT, tax and insurance). Compile the responses and put parents who are interested and come from similar directions in touch with each other. How the parents operate the share is up to them. They may alternate trips daily or weekly; one may drop off and the other picks up, etc. It’s their choice.
Additional Information
People are often concerned about the impact of car sharing on their insurance: the Association of British Insurers (ABI) states that car sharing won't affect the insurance of their members so long as the vehicle seats no more than eight passengers and a profit isn't made from any payment by passengers. The ABI has around 400 member companies providing 94% of domestic insurance services sold in the UK. However, drivers with any concerns should check with their insurance company as terms and conditions may vary between insurance providers over time (source: Act on CO2).
