The carpooling idea is fine for same shift factory workers or the 9:00 - 5:00 employees. I doubt that the A/C would reccomend carpooling for their advertising sales reps and the many other workers the A/C depends on.
Given the region's gas station outages and sky-high fuel prices, wouldn't it be great to participate in a program that would save you money, cut back on your car mileage, help the environment -- and pay you $3 a day?
Sounds too good to be true. But it is true and the "Cash for Commuters" program, sponsored by the Clean Air Campaign, has been a big hit in Atlanta. Now it's available to Augusta-area drivers. It's designed to encourage motorists to carpool or to use other forms of transportation, such as mass transit.
More than 3,000 commuters signed up for it in the Atlanta area -- and with gas prices where they are today, it's understandable why. Carpooling, or van pooling, not only saves you money, but "Cash for Commuters" will pay you three bucks a day for doing it, up to $180 over a 90-day period, says Clean Air spokeswoman Sarah Waters.
It's not just the financial incentive that attracts commuters, but the practicality of logging fewer miles on their vehicles and reducing pollution.
Those who are already carpooling or using mass transit may sign up for random gift card drawings based on how many times they have clean-commuted, says Waters. Rewards are also offered to those who walk or bicycle to work.
There are other rewards as well, such as providing gas cards to carpools with three or more people. The program will also help you find carpooling partners if need be.
Programs such as these are so much better than having the government order them. The latter provokes resentment, the former brings satisfaction. For information, visit www.cleanaircampaign.com.
Comments
The carpooling idea is fine for same shift factory workers or the 9:00 - 5:00 employees. I doubt that the A/C would reccomend carpooling for their advertising sales reps and the many other workers the A/C depends on.
mgroot, I'm with you. I've lived in places where I happily did without a car and the attendant expense/inconvenience, but Augusta is not one of those places...
Yes, carpooling is nice but it depends on where you live and work. Most live in rural areas which makes it difficult to carpool. Another thing is that many workers have childeren in school; what happens if the carpooling parent receives an emergency call about their child? Carpools DO work in metropolitan areas; they do NOT work in rural areas.
Car pooling is a great option for workers who share the same schedule and route.
There is another option which can work for office workers who want to save on gas and commuting time. Remote Office Centers make it possible for workers to work remotely from an office near where they live. Remote Office Centers lease individual offices, internet, and phone systems to workers from different companies in shared centers located around the city and suburbs.
It is going to take several different solutions in order to solve the energy crisis. Amercan workers and business are going to have to get more efficient in the way that they work and the way that they get to work. It is the only way to compete in a global economy.
Remote Office Centers are fairly new, but can be found in many cities by searching the internet for "Remote Office Centers" in quotes, or by going to a free web site that lists centers by location.
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