Estimating the viability of an instant car pooling system

In this paper the authors explore the feasibility of exploiting the concept of ride-sharing in urban transport as a means of increasing the currently low vehicle occupancy rates in Australia. Ride-sharing can be achieved with the help of instant car pooling systems. An instant car pooling system is one where notices of requests or offers of lifts may only be given at short notice. In order for such a system to work, it would be necessary that a fairly high proportion of requests for lifts could be met. The authors model the system mathematically and use simulation modelling to estimate the required membership size of a car pooling club in order for it to be viable. The club is considered viable if members wanting to use it could be successful 80% of the time. By success the authors mean that a request for a lift is matched by an offer, or vice versa. Specifically the model provides an estimate of how the size of membership affects the probability of satisfying requests for lifts.