SPEAKER: May I have everyone’s attention? I want to get
started so that we can all be home by dinnertime. So, thank you everyone for
coming today to hear about the new Manchester rideshare programme. Our city is
growing quickly, and as the population increases, so does traffic. Pretty soon
our roads won’t be able to sustain all of the drivers commuting to work on just
a few major thoroughfares. That’s why we have developed a programme to adapt to
this changing reality.
The rideshare programme is open to residents of Greater Manchester,
including all ten metropolitan boroughs. We have pick-up points in every
borough except Trafford right now, but as I’ve heard, there’ll soon be one
established. So if you live in Trafford, you have the option of either waiting
until the pick-up point is set up, or taking the bus to pick-up spots in either
Manchester City of Salford.
Now, um, taking a step back, let me explain how this all works. We have
a website through which you’ll have to register to become a rideshare member.
There’s a very small administrative fee of £5, which really just helps us to
maintain the site. Once you’re registered, you’ll have access to our rideshare
network. You can see the exact pick-up locations in each of the Greater
Manchester boroughs, and you’ll be able to view each of those locations’
schedules.
What I mean by schedules is the days and times during which other
members have already set up rideshares. Our system works on someone originally
posting an offer to rideshare, and other members may respond if they care to
join. Then an agreement is reached and a regular rideshare is organised.
Sometimes those rideshares are already full...uh, there’s no more room in the
vehicle...but sometimes there are open seats. Just contact someone from that
particular rideshare group to find out.
But you can’t just waltz into a group. They have to accept you. So make
sure to be polite in your communications. Oh, and if a rideshare is full, you
can either find another one nearby or start your own. You’d be surprised at how
easy it is to fill up.
I should warn you that each member is only allowed to register for two
rideshare groups at one time. We have this rule because some people register
for multiple rideshares at once to ensure they get a seat somewhere, and this
causes us a lot of problems. It reserves seats that could be used by other
members, so we had to create registration limits.
Uh, all right then. Payment. Besides the registration fee, we as an
organisation don’t impose any other charges. But you need to be pitching in for
gas for whatever group you’re, uh, you’re part of. Every rideshare group
decides amongst themselves how that’s handled. Some groups take turns, while
others pool funds in advance. But, uh, you can expect that to cost about £25
per month.
It’s common for groups to have difficulty deciding whose automobile to
take. Originally, one person’s vehicle was used, and everyone in the group
chipped in for maintenance repairs. That didn’t last long. Most wear and tear
on vehicles happens outside the regular daily commute. So
what people started doing was alternating weeks. One week they use one person’s
car, then the next week another’s, and so on.
Of course, some people join the rideshare program because they are
vehicle-less. In that circumstance, we recommend the person without a car
contribute extra money...perhaps £20 per month...to help with such costs. But
again, that’s not part of our organisation’s policy.
If there are any inter-group conflicts, that’s when we step in to
mediate. Surprisingly, this seldom happens. In the few times that there’ve been
issues, they’ve been resolved rather quickly. We find that most people who
choose to join rideshare programs are relatively responsible and respectful.
But if you have any problems, call our toll-free helpline day or night.
One last suggestion I’d like to make is that you check a few different
rideshares out before deciding on one. If you’re going to spend a good portion
of your day in a vehicle with other people, you want to be sure you’ll all get
along. Heated political arguments are not exactly, well, not the best way to
start your day.