Carpooling - ring any bells? No..? Relax, it's not something to do with cars and pools nor is it some new sport that has caught our imagination! Well for starters, carpooling is the shared use of private cars, in particular, for commuting to and from work and other places, often by car owners (drivers) and other people (passengers) traveling to the same destination usually by some other means of transport.

So why carpool? No extra brownie points for guessing the most obvious answer- pollution control and shifting into a sustainable living pattern! These concerns have given rise to carpooling efforts across the globe, where car owners come together to form carpools that can be used by all people in the neighbourhood going to destinations of close proximity.

In today's age, life is nothing but a rat race on cars! By using such carpool networks, where one-to-one matching is done automatically, pollution levels in the city can be brought down tangibly. Due to the nature of carpooling, it is most appropriate for pre-planned or regular journeys. "Carpooling has been around for quite some time though not done professionally anywhere. In my previous organization, about 25% of people used to do carpooling which helped them manage easily during times of petrol price hikes", said Karthik, an IT professional in the city.

The concept of carpooling is still in its infancy stage in India, and Chennai among other the other metropolitan cities, is slowly warming up to this concept. So, is there anyone or any place in the city that has taken up the cause of propularising carpooling among Chennaiites? Even before the question is over, an enthusiastic Sumukhi Suresh, president of M.O.P.Vaishnav College's Students' Council, shouts out a resounding "yes!!!"

This college is among the first to champion the concept of carpooling in the city and they've begun from their own backyard, that is, with their own students. The college will soon be introducing carpooling and bikepooling clubs, which will first create awareness among the student community about the positives of such a move, per say. "Then, we will move on to setting an example to the others, by becoming the first college in the city to enforce this effective innovation among its students!" she quipped with excitement.

There are often times when car owners have empty seats in their car because they don't know of anyone who needs a lift. Let's start knowing from today!

Aruna V Iyer