Car share scheme hits milestone

The scheme is designed to reduce the number of cars on the road

An online car-sharing scheme in Fife has reached a significant milestone by signing up its 1,000th member.

Council-backed community web site, tripsharefife.com, was launched in 2006 with the aim of cutting the number of vehicles on the roads.

It claimed the average car sharer can save £1,000 per year taking part in the free scheme.

Organisers have estimated there are more than 38 million empty seats in cars on the UK roads every day.

The web site allows people to register details of the regular journeys they make.

They can then try to find people whose journeys match their own.

Fife Council transport officer Clare Hamilton-Sturdy, said: "Car sharing is 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 help the environment by cutting harmful exhaust emissions.

"There is no better time to try car sharing, especially with continuing rising fuel costs. "