Solo commuters are major contributors to traffic congestion. Car-pooling is a simple solution.
Drivers deserve this money for the extra gas and effort needed to give two poolers a ride. Solo commuters would pay a $5 toll entering and leaving the city during commute hours, a small price to pay considering the time they save during their total commute.
Vehicles with two people would not pay any toll. During non-commute hours, the $5 toll would not exist. This $5 toll would fund the system. If this worked, commute traffic into cities would decrease by about half.
A dollar from each toll collected would go into a progressive super jackpot. Randomly, jackpots worth $100 or $1,000 or even $1 million would be awarded to poolers, to be split between the driver and riders.
A rider could go to a neighbourhood 'PoolStop' with his colour-coded destination sign and almost instantly get a ride. Women, if they preferred, would only pool with other women. For security, poolers would be issued computerised IDs that could be verified at PoolStop scanner stations. A computer would record who commuted together, which could be recalled in the event of a problem.
By pressing a key on the telephone, the computer would dial the person who left the message, putting the two people instantly in contact. Since the computer dialled the phone, the privacy of the poolers is ensured. A ride is just a phone call away.
Jim Fox, PO Box 2354, San Anselmo, CA 94960, USA (tel 415 454 7089; 415 897 0220 days; 898 0831 fax).