Two days after the launch of the Whitefield Rising Pool Circle Initiative, Ashish (the ride giver) and Pravir (the ride sharer) car-pooled from Whitefield to Domlur on the morning of 19th October. Although their residences, as well as their offices, are 3 km apart, PoolCircle app and SMS helped coordinate the 12 km overlap.

The satisfied smiles of the ride giver and sharer! Pic: Pravir B.

Pooling helped bring down one single occupant car from choked roads, brought down emission, saved precious fuel, and brought joy to both riders. No monetary transaction was involved. The riders discovered their common roots in a distant district of North-West India. Being members of the WR-moderated group helped overcome the ‘unknown rider’ fear factor.

During the trial run in September of this initiative, WR volunteers Sundaram (taker) and Pravir (giver) had shared a ride from Domlur to Whitefield in the evening. Today’s ride, entirely enabled by the PoolCircle app,  kickstarts WR’s latest programme and completes the ‘pool circle’.

“It was a really nice experience to complete my first pool ride,” said a delighted Ashish after his first shared ride. “Apart from the obvious happiness about contributing towards a less congested and less polluted world, it also led to a nice conversation and a discovery of a lot that the two riders had in common and the overlaps they shared. I now feel confident that ‘pooling’ is the way to go.”

On Monday, October 17th, Whitefield Rising launched a car-pool platform in partnership with PoolCircle. It enables neighbours to share a trip during weekday commutes and daily rides, and in the long run would help to de-congest our crowded roads. There is no monetary transaction between the ride taker and ride giver.

For more information, go to www.poolcircle.com/wr.

If your community is not in the list of moderated community groups, write to hello@whitefieldrising.org