A new smart phone and tablet app will help Wyndham commuters fight back against the gridlock that strangles city streets day and night … and help kids get about as well.
The Western Melbourne Carpool app is based on successful interstate models but will be a first for Victoria.
The app was developed by Victoria University in conjunction with Maribyrnong council, Western Health, Werribee Mercy and the RACV, and is due to be launched within three months.
The council’s transport portfolio-holder Glenn Goodfellow says the new app could reduce traffic congestion across the municipality.
“Wyndham is one of Australia’s fastest- growing suburbs and residents are faced with overwhelming traffic congestion on a daily basis,” he said.
“That’s why council is looking at innovative solutions and doing everything we can to tackle this problem. By sharing the journey with someone else and rotating who drives, residents can effectively halve their travel costs, which is a great incentive.”
Cr Goodfellow said use of the app wasn’t limited to people driving to work but was also a great incentive for sports club members.
A bus and multi-occupancy lane will be added to Point Cook’s Palmers Road to get residents on board with the app.
A number of employers are also offering priority parking bays for people who car-pool.
“As Wyndham and the rest of the west’s population continues to grow, we need to come up with new and fresh ideas to tackle traffic congestion,” Cr Goodfellow said.
