The Okanagan’s 8th Annual Carpool Month promotion will take place in October 6-31, 2014. During this period, commuters are encouraged to visit Carpool.ca and participate in various activities to make them eligible to win prizes – including $100 free fuel cards.

Carpool Month 2014 prize-winning activities include:
1. Register with www.carpool.ca as a new user,
2. Return to www.carpool.ca (if you’re an existing user) and search for carpool partners,
3. Complete the online survey through www.carpool.ca
The carpool program is funded in partnership with the City of Kelowna, City of Vernon, UBC Okanagan and the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen. These groups encourage commuters to consider using the carpool-matching service provided at Carpool.ca. The Regional District of North Okanagan has also sponsored Carpool Month this year.

The www.carpool.ca program is available to commuters throughout the Okanagan. There are currently 1,049 registrants from these regions. The user-friendly system is secure and free. As more and more people register, carpooling becomes a viable transportation alternative for commuters.

“The Regional District is pleased to be a sponsor of the Carpool service that is available to both rural and municipal residents,” says Mark Pendergraft, Chair of the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen. “Apart from lessening our impact on the environment, carpooling makes good economic sense for motorists.”

Although the costs of gas and parking are readily noticeable, the true costs of owning and operating a vehicle are much higher than most drivers would suspect. According to Statistics Canada, the average Canadian household spends over $12,000 per year on transportation alone, the second highest family expense next to housing.

The program is not just for people who live within city limits; in fact, approximately 20 per cent of commuters drive in from communities outside of major centers. In areas where public transit might not be readily available, carpooling makes even better sense.

“It’s important to note that carpooling doesn’t require a large commitment,” says Anne Marie Thornton, Manager of Carpool.ca. “Our desire to save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions tends to be secondary to our need for convenience, so consider carpooling once or twice a week to start.”