Carpooling pays for this commuter

SHARED RIDE: Masterton's Marquerite Vierstraete-Williams carpools to Lower Hutt for work. PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA

Time is precious to Marquerite Vierstraete-Williams.

So these days, instead of cycling to and from a station to take the train to work and back home again each day she carpools, sharing the commute and expense of travel with two others; Karen Hoodless and Heather Coffey. Sometimes another person jumps in for the ride home.

This week is Kiwi Carpool Week and Greater Wellington Regional Council is encouraging commuters to jump on board and share the travel with others to cut down on congestion and help the environment.

Mrs Vierstraete-Williams has been carpooling for more than three years after seeing an advertisement about it and said it was such an easy and enjoyable thing to do.

She said carpooling was convenient.

Catching the train was an "epic trip" daily, she said.

"Carpooling is so much easier and so much cheaper. I just hop in the car and reach my destination. No need to worry about being stranded when the train isn't going or replaced by buses ... it just didn't work for me."

Taking her car a few times, Mrs Vierstraete-Williams said she soon realised a "saving" of around 75 minutes both ways.

"Time is precious," she said.

"Door to door transport in comfort and making the commute the most relaxing part of the day ... also I have better control of my work schedule - carpooling is a commitment and I have to leave on time."

There are major bonuses too.

"Carpooling is good for the planet, your wallet and your sanity."

She witnesses many of the same cars making the daily trek and encourages others to give it a go.

"If you drive alone it can be boring ... go for it; it's fun and it's easy. Our trips are never boring and carpooling with people that work in a totally different field is interesting and entertaining at the same time."

For more information on carpooling go to www.gw.govt.nz/carpooling/.