Carpooling: Alternative to traffic jams

I am a regular commuter along the roads that connect Lalmatia with Motijheel -- my workplace. The misery and suffering we all face on these roads are too well-known to elaborate. Interestingly, most of the private cars that create congestion on the roads carry only one or two persons. What is even more ironic is that most of these vehicles are going towards almost the same direction.
Hence, we have a situation where thousands of people drive long distances alone everyday, many of them going in the same direction. So, why not share the ride? Undoubtedly, we can put two people together in one car instead of two and our traffic problems would be cut by half. We can reach our destination, save money and contribute to a cleaner environment. We may even make a new friend along the way.
This idea is referred to as carpooling, car-sharing, ride-sharing or lift-sharing in the developed world and it has been around for a long time. Members of a carpool split the costs in terms of fuel, tolls and parking fees. Additionally, carpools decongest the roads and help reduce pollution and carbon-dioxide emissions. They also reduce driving-related stress for the members who are not driving. The members share driving their vehicles in turns and eventually it helps reduce car-maintenance costs.
In Dhaka, motorists may not appreciate the idea of carpooling because everyone loves being behind the wheel as it is a status symbol. However, considering the cost of traffic jams, it could be welcome move towards reducing Dhaka's traffic problem. The system should be introduced in an organised way and be supervised by competent and professional individuals or entities.
Nabil Azam Dewan
Lalmatia, Dhaka.
nabil.dewan@gmail.com