Car-sharing drive hits the fast lane

HUNDREDS of new members have signed up to a scheme which sees commuters share cars on the way to work.

Following a radio advertising campaign, Tripshare has close to 6000 members in Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife.

Promoted by regional transport body SEStran, Tripshare seeks to reduce the number of cars on the road by allowing commuters to share journeys.

Russell Imrie, chairman of SEStran, said: "The campaign to attract new members to Tripshare was a huge success - the most successful October on record since the launch of the scheme. We are now well on the way to reaching the 6000 mark for membership before the end of the year.

"However, Scotland is lagging behind EU states where routine car sharing is far more common. If we are to successfully tackle congestion and pollution in the region, we need to convince far more people to consider it as a viable travel option.

"If all of us shared a journey just one day a week it would take 20 per cent of the cars off our roads. That's a lot less congestion and a lot less carbon going into the atmosphere."