What is car sharing?

Car sharing is when there is more than one occupant in a private car. We all share cars regularly, with our friends and family, without thinking about it. But there are often times when a driver has empty seats in the car because they don't know of anyone who needs a lift.

And that's where organised car-sharing, using the best of today's technology, comes in.

The liftshare matching service puts people travelling in the same direction or a similar destination in contact with each other, allowing them to arrange to travel together and share the costs, whilst also reducing congestion and pollution on our roads.

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What are the benefits of sharing a car?

The UK has the worst congestion, longest commuting time, second highest road utilisation and highest car ownership in the EU.

The UK's traffic situation has led to significant social, economic and environmental costs:

• Traffic jams cost the economy £5 billion every year in lost productivity
• There are 10 million empty seats on the road every day
• The average speed of traffic in London is 10 mph
• 29% of children travel to school by car
• 90% of London air pollution is caused by road traffic

Sharing a car:

• Reduces the costs of travelling by car
• Undercuts the cost of nearly all other forms of transport
• Reduces congestion and pollution
• Reduces parking problems
• Reduces the need for a private car
• Widens the recruitment catchment areas for businesses
• Provides a real solution to the lack of public transport in rural areas
• Facilitates the integration of public and private transport
• Is a way of meeting new, like-minded people.

If half of UK motorists received a lift one day a week, congestion and pollution would be reduced by 10% and traffic jams by 20%.

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What are the costs of car sharing?

liftshare suggests that passengers pay the driver 10p per mile each. Alternatively drivers and passengers can split the costs of running the vehicle equally. Please note that drivers should not
make a profit from car-sharing as this can invalidate their insurance. As a basic figure we advise that drivers receive no more than 40p per mile from passengers, but you may want to look up your own motoring costs as calculated by the AA. If you have any concerns please contact your insurance company directly.

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How can I get involved?

The service is available to anyone who travels in the UK - students, commuters, people on the school run, football supporters, festival goers, tourists, employees - anyone!

And joining the scheme is simple and completely FREE. All you have to do is register your details (for security reasons) and we will send you your password via e-mail.

If you would like to change your password to one you will remember more easily, please click on Personal, delete the asterisks in the password boxes and replace them with your own password.

Please keep a note of your password, as you will need it for future entry to the site. If, however, you happen to forget it you can click on Send me my password. Your password will be sent to your e-mail address immediately.

Once you've registered your journey and submitted the information we'll search the database for possible matches and give you the details of other people going your way.

You can contact any suitable travelling companions via their e-mail (this ensures members' privacy) and arrange to meet them at a collection point that suits you both. Make sure you both bring I.D. so you both know you're meeting the right person.

Another way of getting involved is to set up a car-sharing  Group, or you can get us to develop one of our Branded Car-sharing Schemes for your company, village, town, service etc.

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When can I share a car?

Because of the organisation involved, car sharing is most appropriate for pre-planned or regular journeys, including:

• Getting to and from work
• Doing the weekly shop
• Getting the children to school
• Going to the match at the weekend
• Travelling to a festival, big event or show
• Getting to and from university or simply visiting friends

But you can also search for travelling companions for one-off journeys to anywhere in the country.

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What are the chances of finding a perfect match to my requirements?

Thousands of people have had success in finding travelling companions using liftshare, and our software has been designed to identify all possible ways of getting you from a to b.

If, however, you're having difficulty in finding a match, we suggest that you look for a travelling companion for part of your journey, and do the rest on public transport.

And remember - the more members we have, the greater the chance of finding an exact match. So make sure you tell your friends about liftshare, and get them to register their journeys a.s.a.p.

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Will my e-mail address be visible to other users?

No, your e-mail address is kept hidden at all times. The only information that is visible to other users is your 'usually called' name, your smoking preference, and the journey details you added.

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Do I have to pay to search for drivers or passengers?

It is completely free to search for travelling companions. However we suggest that drivers and passengers split the cost of each journey, or passengers can pay 10p per mile. Drivers must not use car-sharing as a means of making a profit.

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What are the insurance implications of liftsharing?

The Association of British Insurers clearly states that car-sharing won't affect the insurance of their members so long as a profit isn't made:

"Giving Lifts - All ABI motor insurers have agreed that if your passengers contribute towards your running costs your insurance cover will not be affected, as long as lifts are given in a vehicle seating eight passengers or less. This agreement does not apply if you make a profit from payments received or if carrying passengers is your business." (Source: ABI website, 2005)

The ABI represents around 400 companies, transacting 94% of the business of UK insurance companies.

Drivers with any concerns should check with their insurance company as terms and conditions may vary between insurance providers over time.

If you would like to contact your insurance company, please feel free to use our Draft Letter.

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What is my password and can I change it?

We will e-mail you your password as soon as you have registered.

If you would like to change your password to one you will remember more easily, please click on Personal, delete the asterisks in the password boxes and replace them with your own password.

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What other services are available?

The carsharenorfolk.com site has comprehensive Route Planners, information on Buses, Trains, and much, much more to help you plan your journey efficiently.

Our software also lets you set up your very own car sharing Groups free of charge, so that you can establish an exclusive closed group for you and your friends, or a new open group for people with particular interests.

We also provide Branded Car Sharing Schemes for groups, companies or communities who want to provide a cheap and easy way for people to travel. Other services include Consulting Services, Travel Surveys, Transport Website design and help in Promoting Your Scheme.

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What is a lift sharing group?

We have a huge number of public groups that you can join at no extra cost, enabling you to find travelling companions with similar interests or destinations to you. Click here to see a complete list of public groups.

You can also establish your own Private Group to which access would be restricted.

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How can I set up a lift sharing group?

Setting up a group is easy! All you need to do is decide whether you want to set up a Private Group, where membership is restricted, or a Public Group, where anyone can join. For example, you might want to set up a closed group for you and your colleagues. Or you could set up an open group for anyone interested in classical music. For more information just click on Groups and follow the instructions!

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How do I contact the driver/passenger?

Having selected a suitable travelling match, you should make contact (to agree a time and place to meet) using their e-mail address. We do not recommend that you exchange home addresses (for security reasons), and we advise all members to meet in public locations such as a train station or bus station, which are easy to get to and away from, should the lift fail.

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What happens if my liftshare fails?

liftshare is solely a travel information service provider and we cannot be held responsible for any journeys that don't work out as planned. Likewise the drivers and passengers who register their journeys with us are under no legal obligation to their travelling companions or to liftshare to make any journeys.

However we hope that if plans change and journeys can't be made, that all affected parties will be contacted and forewarned with appropriate notice. We also suggest that travelling companions arrange to meet at locations close to public transport networks, so that if plans fall through the passengers have the option of using an alternative form of transport to get to their destination on time.

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How safe is car sharing?

The safety of our members is a priority for liftshare, and we have made our web-site as secure as we can. All members' details are stored securely in the database and only the members' intended travel information can be accessed on-line.

When it comes to travelling, every member is responsible for his or her own safety. However we do recommend that members' follow some simple security measures outlined below:

• Avoid exchanging home addresses with your travelling companion before you meet them.
• Arrange to meet in a public place.
• Inform a friend or family member of who you will be travelling with, when and to where.
• Make sure you show each other your I.D.s - passports, student cards or driving licences - so you know you're travelling with the right person.
• You are under no obligation to go ahead with any liftshare. If you have any doubts about your travelling companion, for any reason, you should avoid travelling with them.
• If you have any problems please call us immediately on 08700 11 11 99 and we will endeavour to help in any way that we can.

For more information about safety and security of personal information please read Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policy

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Is it possible to find travelling companions of the same sex? (Single sex travelling i.e. Only females)

Yes, through our public groups you can join all male or female car sharing schemes.

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Where should I arrange to meet my travelling companions?

We recommend that you meet your travelling companions at a public place, close to public transport networks if possible so that alternative transport options are available should the lift fall through. We advise members not to meet at a home address for security reasons.

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How do I cancel my membership?

To cancel your membership, please click on the Personal Details page and select 'Please remove my details'. All your details will be removed from the database immediately.

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How do I edit my e-mail address, password etc?

To edit any of your personal details such as your default e-mail address or password, please click on Personal Details, followed by 'Update my details'. Your can amend your details as necessary, and the records in our database will be updated automatically. Any new details will also be e-mailed through to you for your records.

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What is a Branded Web-site?

liftshare can build you your own branded car-sharing web-site, either to stand alone or as part of your existing web-site or intranet. For more information, see our page on Branded Web Sites.

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What are the benefits of Branded Web-sites and Group schemes?

• Provide a cheap transport option for staff, clients and visitors
• Reduce traffic and congestion
• Reduce pollution
• Reduce pressure on car-parking facilities
• Help you improve relations with the local community
• Demonstrate your commitment to the environment
• Improve your corporate image
• Widen your recruitment catchment area
• Assist in team-building and developing community spirit
• Can form a key part of your Travel Plan

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