West Berkshire Liftshare - Frequently Asked Questions

The Liftshare pilot initiative has been launched to encourage car journeys to be shared in order that:

• the impact on the environment is reduced
• people benefit from reduced costs for travel
• access to services and facilities is improved
• the community is strengthened through greater connections between residents
• residents who are currently feeling isolated have greater opportunities

Some specific questions about the pilot are included later on this page, but first we can point you to the key questions that are answered by the organisation 'Liftshare' who West Berkshire Council have partnered with. 

Liftshare are very experienced in providing ways for people to share journeys. They have been promoting car sharing for many years and have some excellent information within the 'frequently asked questions' section of their website. You can see the types of questions that they cover below and can access the answers on the Liftshare website:

• What is car sharing?
• Who are Liftshare?
• How safe is car sharing
• Where should I arrange to meet my car share partner?
• Will my personal contact details be visible to other users?
• Who can see my journey details?
• How can I check if the driver's car is taxed and has passed its MOT? (UK only)
• What are the benefits of sharing a car?
• How can I get involved?
• Can someone under 18 (a minor) use the site?
• When can I share a car?
• What happens if my car share arrangement falls through?
• What are the costs of car sharing?
• What are the legal and insurance implications of car sharing?
• Do I need a car to car share?
• How to be a good car share partner
• Will other people be able to see where I live?
• Suggested contribution
   

West Berkshire FAQs

Now for some more specific questions you might have about the West Berkshire pilot initiative:
 

What areas are covered by the pilot?

These are the Parish and Town Council areas of Chaddleworth, East Garston, Great Shefford and Hungerford.
 

Why have these areas been chosen?

There was initial enthusiasm shown by some people within these communities for the idea of a car sharing scheme. The areas link together well and Hungerford has services and facilities and onward public transport links that residents in these areas may wish to access frequently. The public transport serving these areas of the district is also very limited and therefore the choice of sharing car journeys could be very attractive to some residents.
 

Why have a pilot?

Sharing journeys can be a very personal thing and how this is encouraged and facilitated is important to the success of the initiative and how beneficial it is to residents. It was considered important to launch Liftshare with a small number of communities first, so that efforts were not spread too far but concentrated on finding out what works best. The pilot will provide learning for rolling out the initiative further and will also hopefully provide some case studies that others will find useful, giving ideas for how they could make journey sharing work for them.
 

Why not just encourage people to sign up to the national Liftshare scheme?

There is a national Liftshare platform that anyone can sign up to and try and find someone suitable to share lifts with. However, West Berkshire Council are seeking to establish a scheme for West Berkshire residents only, so that when you sign up you know that it will only be local people who you will have opportunities to link with. It is hoped that this will build confidence within communities to use the scheme and that some real community benefits will come out of this, as well as environmental benefits and financial savings for individuals.
 

What if I live outside the pilot area?

If you are a resident of West Berkshire but live outside the Parish and Town areas of Chaddleworth, East Garston, Great Shefford and Hungerford, it is the intention that later in 2023 the Liftshare initiative will be promoted in your area. This will be well publicised through West Berkshire Council and your local Parish or Town Council.

There is nothing to stop you signing up to the West Berkshire Liftshare platform now but it will be unlikely that you will have opportunities to car share if others living around you are not yet being encouraged to join. If you want to register your interest in Liftshare ahead of it being promoted to your area, please get in touch with us at environment@westberks.gov.uk. We would love it if you would be willing to champion Liftshare in your area later in 2023!
 

I do not have access to the internet or am not confident using it - what do I do?

We understand that not everyone has access to be able to make use of online platforms such as Liftshare. If you have someone you know who can help you to register for car sharing then please ask them - perhaps a neighbour, friend or relative. Or, please call Deborah on 07795 252173 so that we can try and link you with the most appropriate help. This could be your local community transport scheme.