Car pooling

Car pooling is an effective way to reduce our impact.
As a side advantage you get to share the cost of transportation and help others who choose not to have/use a car.
It’s also a good way to get to know fellow members!

Find or offer a ride

Car pooling in the club is self organized.
The outing leader may provide you with a list of other particiants.
Another good way to find passengers or drivers is to post a message on the club’s Facebook page.

Cost Guidelines

ACC Montreal does not have rules on how to share the cost of car pooling.
Although we’d like to offer some guidelines

  • total cost of travel should be shared equaly between all passengers, inluding the driver
  • passengers should consider that expenses includes lots more than the cost of gas; maintenance, car wear/depreciation, insurance, licenses are a few other ones.
    For example the CAA driving cost 2008 report set the total cost of car use to be between 0.25$ to 0.40$ per km without counting gas.
    Most of these expenses being fixed cost of ownership, we suggest a rate of 0.10$/km to be counted for car wear.
  • drivers should not expect passengers to pay for everything, the driver is also a passenger and he enjoys the freedom of schedule and destination.

As a rule of thumb we consider fair that all costs are shared equally among all passengers including the driver. Cost of gas is easy to compute; car wear can be evaluated on a distance basis

Example:
A ride from Montreal to Keene with 3 people in the car (driver + 2 passengers):

  • Cost of gas, approx 40$
  • Distance (back and forth): about 2 x 175km = 350km
  • Car wear cost: 0.10 * 350km = 35$
  • Total Cost would then be 40$ + 35$ = 75$
  • Amount that each 2 passenger would give to the driver: 75$/3 = 25$

Please note that these are only guidelines.
It would be a good idea to discuss this with the driver before leaving Montreal to avoid bad surprises later.