Travelling together is ecological

12 years, 5 months ago - 7 October 2011, the Independent
Travelling together is ecological
At a time when the island is focusing on Maurice Ile Durable, cars are being blamed for creating traffic congestion and air pollution.

However, a solution to this problem can be carpooling. Carpooling is slowly taking off in Mauritius. In this system, a group of people living in the same area and headed in the same direction, instead of taking individual vehicles, travel in the same car.

Each shared car amounts to one or more less cars in traffic. “I have been practising it for the past two years. I work at Ebène and some of my colleagues live in the same area as me. So every morning, I take out my car and pick them up. I feel less lonely and it promotes friendliness. I am sure that I would not have known them the way I know them now if it was not for carpooling,” said Kendy Sawminaden, a resident of Vacoas.

He added that his colleagues also share the cost of petrol. “Carpooling is gaining popularity here. It represents an efficient means of transport if it is well organised. It is also economical and environment friendly,” said another carpooler, Reema Ackjah, a secondary school teacher.

She added that with carpooling, the risk of accidents is also lower.

“The presence of passengers makes the driver more conscious of his or her driving,” she stated. Mounir Ali, an insurance officer has a list of people taking the same route as him. “This allows me to find a place in a car, if required,” he said. Above all, Ali knows the people with whom he shares the journey and with this comes the guarantee of reliability. Everyone also agrees that this is a story of solidarity.