Car Sharing
Sat in traffic with the same people every day, have you considered sharing your journey? Car sharing or lift sharing is a great way to share and reduce the costs of travelling and owning a car. There are so many benefits: save money on fuel costs and the cost of wear and tear on your car, save time looking for a parking space and benefit the environment by reducing your carbon footprint.
It is helpful to know that:
- You don’t need to own a car to car share,
- It isn’t necessary that you work at the same place as your car sharer,
- You don’t have to car share every day,
- Most workplaces will offer a guaranteed ride home in case of emergencies.
You can car share on your commute to work, the school run, or even a regular shopping trip. There are a number of options available to you for finding journey matches! Alternatively you can register online with LiftShare and search for ‘Hans Carshare’ to find the Hampshire Car Share database where you can search and request journey matches.
Here are some tips and advice to help you ensure your personal safety:
- The database will not reveal any of your details to other registered people
- You can agree a convenient pick up point e.g. an open and public place, such as a bus stop or outside a shop.
- Take your ID badge for the first meeting
- Find out what colour and model of car to expect.
- If you want to share with the same gender only, then you can indicate this when you search for a match.
Electric Vehicles
Sometimes it can be difficult to avoid using your private car, especially for longer journeys.
The government has set targets for us to reach net zero by 2050, and a major part of achieving this is decarbonising the transport sector. Ending the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2030 has resulted in the increasing popularity of electric vehicles.
So maybe it is time to consider purchasing an electric car. What are the benefits of owning an electric vehicle for you?
- Electric vehicles are cheaper to run than a diesel or petrol vehicle
- Electric vehicles are quiet…a more comfortable and relaxing journey for you
- Fast and easy home charging
- Reduced carbon footprint
- What are the benefits of electric vehicles for the planet?
- Renewable energy: You won’t be expending limited resources to power your car
- Eco-friendly materials: A lot of electric vehicles are manufactured using base materials which are ecologically beneficial
- Lower levels of pollution: Far fewer emissions than petrol and diesel counterparts…electric vehicles have zero polluting elements coming from the exhaust
- Recycled batteries: You can recycle the engine
Electric Vehicle Government Grant Schemes –
Government incentives increase affordability of electric vehicles for you! The government are offering a discount on the price of brand new low-emission vehicles through a grant that the government gives to vehicle dealerships and manufacturers. The maximum grant available is £3,000. Look at more information here on the government website.
The government are also offering grant schemes for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS), which provides a 75% contribution to the cost of one chargepoint and its installation – up to £350. Alternatively, there are 17 charging points already available within a 12 minute drive from your home!
Taxi Services
Taxi services are a great complement to travelling by bus, rail, walking and cycling. Taxis can transfer you to/from the rail or bus station or get you home with your shopping after walking or cycling to the shops. The following taxi firms are located in Winchester:
- Wessex: 01962 877749
- Wintax: 01962 878727
- City: 01962 841212
If travelling by train, for your journey destination traintaxi.co.uk can be used to find out the phone numbers of taxis serving most stations in England.