An innovative carpooling app designed by Unitec is set to transform how we commute to work.
Auckland is a city built for cars and while we might love this city, we sure don’t love sitting in gridlock—especially during the hot and sticky summer months.
Sadly, that’s what many of us do as studies show that a typical Aucklander spends up to 20 working days a year stuck in traffic.
It’s no surprise, then, that Unitec research reveals that close to three quarters of our staff (74%) and almost half our students (44%) drive alone to work, which is expensive, lonely, and bad for the planet.
The good news is that a commuting revolution is just around the corner, offering a smarter and more eco- and time-friendly way of travelling. The solution: a soon-to-be-tested Unitec-wide carpooling smart app.
This ground-breaking project is led by Cris de Groot, Senior Academic Leader Business and Innovation in Creative Industries and developed by a dedicated team of Unitec students. It is already an award-winner due to its innovative design, and the app is now in its final development stage.
The coding team, led by Cris De Groot (left), plus Ashley Yan, Joseph Jackson and Michael Manning
Carpooling is like dating. It can be fantastic, but it can also feel like hard work. Finding the right match takes effort, and a fair bit of trial and error. This app attempts to solve one of carpooling’s key challenges – finding the right match between rider and driver. By operating as an exclusive transport hub it also makes the most of the values, trust and accountability shared within the Unitec community.
Carpooling, when done well, has many advantages; saving you time and money, helping you build your professional network, all while making best use of the city’s existing roading infrastructure.
In a car-centric city like Auckland, where cycling or public transport is often not an option for many, carpooling is realistically the next best sustainable travel option for you and Unitec.
If you would like to be involved in the organisation-wide final testing stage, please contact: oneplanet@unitec.ac.nz