A COMMUNITY website set up to encourage more people to car share has reached a major milestone.

The Fife Council-backed website TripshareFife.com welcomed its 1000th member this week, marking an amazing uptake in the service since it was launched in 2006.

Users of the facility say they have been saving around £1000 per year by registering their journeys on the website for free to find other local people with whom they can share a journey to work or even to go shopping.

The website then matches people up, allowing them to leave their car at home on a regular basis.

With research suggesting that there are over 38 million empty seats on the UK’s roads every day, it is now starting to be widely recognised that car sharing could be one solution to many of the UK’s transport problems.

Clare Hamilton-Sturdy, transportation services lead officer at Fife Council, said car sharing was a simple and effective way of increasing individual mobility, helping motorists keep down their travel costs, making more efficient use of space on the UK’s roads and helping the environment by cutting harmful exhaust emissions.

“There is no better time to try car sharing, especially with continuing rising fuel costs,” she said.

“There are now 1000 people on Tripshare Fife’s Public Scheme (which is open to all Fifers) and over 550 on Fife Council’s Tripshare Fife Scheme (for council employees), so the chances of finding someone to travel with and save money are higher than ever.”

As well as saving money by splitting the costs of travel, other benefits of car sharing are reduced congestion and pollution and improved access for people who live in areas with limited public transport.

To find out more, visit www.TripshareFife.com