Exploring Multiple Benefits of Carpooling

Introduction

The last few years have seen a massive increase in requests for displacement. This increase demands the development and continuous improvement of means of transportation. However, despite its evolution, public transport remains less competitive compared to user requirements, especially in rural areas. Thanks to its availability and efficiency, the private car remains the preferred means of transport, particularly in these non-urban areas. However, the increased human mobility combined with the high use of private cars has harmful effects on the environment and raise questions about the quality of life. Indeed, the use of the personal car is a source of pollution, congestion and stress. In addition, the private car is expensive due to the increase fuel prices, insurance and maintenance. One of the solutions which can solve this problem and allows you to take advantage of the advantages of the two modes of transportation (Public and individual) and coping with their disadvantages is ridesharing. In our work, we will particularly consider the concept of carpooling, which presents itself as a flexible transport solution that has just taken care of the environmental, economic image and societal of the personal vehicle. This alternative mode of transportation consists of a driver who offers a carpooling offer with potential passengers to travel together. The carpooling optimization problem consists of developing vehicle routes to meet the demands of transport by optimizing the costs produced by these tours (journey time, cost of trip. . .) and by providing a good quality of service to travelers (waiting time, delay, etc.).

Motivation

Several motivations make us offer optimized dynamic carpooling as an alternative solution to today's transportation problems. In what follows, we quote the most captivating motivations:

Due to longer distances and longer travel times, public transport modes quickly become uncomfortable and clearly lack in flexibility, especially in non-urban areas. Consequently, these modes of transport did not succeed in dissolving the strong dependence of individuals on their cars. However, the addictive behavior of individuals in their personal vehicles poses acute problems, both social and economic. Indeed, this addiction results in an impoverishment of their budget portfolio, but also in the development of individuals in a stressful, hectic and highly polluted environment. This leads us to consider another solution which, without noticing the advantages of the car, inhibits its harmful aspects.

In addition, nowadays, sustainable development is considered to be a major point of interest in world environmental summits. In this sense, several researchers and specialists have put exhaustive efforts to bring about the emergence of renewable energies and green technologies. In this attempt, efforts have also been made to reduce the negative impact of the personal car which is the important sources of CO2 and greenhouse gas. In the same context, the objective of new government policies is to rationalize the use of private cars, in order to fight against traffic jams and congestion in cities and reduce pollution. In this sense, carpooling presents a possible solution that offers many advantages. On the environmental level, it helps in reducing the pollution, because taking a car with four people, is less harmful than if these people each use their own vehicle.

Economically, carpooling is based on the principle of sharing travel costs between the carpoolers. Typically, these fees include the cost of fuel, maintenance, toll. As a result, carpooling makes it possible to travel for less cost. As a result, there will be less traffic on the roads. Socially, carpooling is a great life experience. In most of the time, it is an opportunity to get to know people and have a good time.