Carpool & Ride
Make commuting comfortable and convenient.
Cars are not being used efficiently in The Netherlands
1.37
persons per car on average
19.5M
kilometer minutes of traffic jams every year
15.3B
kilograms of CO2 emmisions due to private cars
Carpooling...
​is planned traveling together in someone’s car with at least one passenger, in stead of everyone driving seperately.
This results in...
fewer cars on the road and thus less congestions. It reduces pollution and fuel costs. In addition, it contributes to social interactions.
(UC Berkeley, 2018)
But,
carpooling is too limited to be a feasible option for a lot of people. You may not have someone nearby to carpool with who needs to go to the same destination.
Introducing
Carpool & Ride
A new way of carpooling. Instead of driving to a carpool parking with your own car, you carpool to the transfer spot. In this way the carpooling process got split in two seperate rides. This enables you to carpool even if none of your colleagues live nearby. You first get a lift to the parking from someone that lives close to you. This person can continue to their own destination. At the same time you get picked up by a colleague who drives you to your destination.
User
Infrastructure
Organisation
Our mission
We want to make carpooling more accessible by creating carpooling hubs that connect people and places.
We don't want to compete with existing companies, but we aim to connect the carpool related products and services that are already on the market in order to create a reliable system that is sustainable and hassle-free. To achieve this we look from three different perspectives, namely the users of the carpool system, the organisations involved in the implementation and maintenance of the carpool system, and the technology/infrastructure required to create and sustain a carpool system.
If multiple people share a car instead of everyone driving by themselves the carbon footprint decreases
The C&R lounge will require an acces code which can be obtained in several ways:
- through your employer
- via a carpooling app
- paying a fee at the spot
Traffic jams will be diminished by the C&R system, so the space in the cars and on the roads is used more efficiently.
The C&R lounge is a small building present at C&R parkings. It contains several facilities like restroom, internet and vending machines
Sufficient greenery will be planted around the Carpool & Ride parking. This provides shade, increases air quality and battles climate change.
Carpoolapps can recommend Carpool & Ride parkings to users to make a trip more flexible. The carpool apps might provide the access code to the C&R lounge present (for a fee).
Employers can provide employees with a code for C&R lounges, by which they help promote carpooling.
The original facilities of a carpool parking will still be present at the carpool & ride parkings, albeit to a lesser extent.
C&R Parking
made with AI based on sketches
Access is provided via a pincode, available for single-use purchase. Subscription members can unlock the hub either with a pincode or through NFC access.
Waiting for your next carpool ride can be uncomfortable. That’s why we introduced the Carpool HUB: to ease the difficulties carpoolers face during transfer moments. The building offers a safe and comfortable space where carpoolers can work, talk, connect, or simply relax during their journey.​
Inside the building, carpoolers will find supporting facilities to make the waiting period more comfortable. An entertainment system provides updates about the journey and waiting times. Each unit includes a couch, (standing) table, toilet, beverage machine, and trash can.
Our goal is to improve, not replace, existing carpool parking areas. This image shows how we combine carpooling with the traditional parking place. The redesigned system focuses on efficiency, keeping parking traffic and pick-up/drop-off traffic separated. Carpoolers who need to wait for their next ride can decided to make use of the Carpool hub facilities. The surrounding area is enhanced with park benches and lanterns to create a safe environment that looks inviting. Added greenery offer shade and lowers the heat emission of the carpool parking lot area.
Is C&R for you?
Environment
You think the environment is very important and let this influence certain choices. Travelling by car emits a lot of CO2, especially if you drive alone. You are willing to adjust this by travelling together. This will reduce your CO2 footprint and give nature a little something.
Regularity
You have to be in the same place regularly and also drive the same route. In addition, you work the ‘standard’ times just like the people around you without unpredictable changes. It is ideal if you are a bit flexible with this. So you could more easily take someone along or ride with someone.
Social
You are a social person. You like a chat now and then and enjoy meeting people. This should be the case both early in the morning when you go to your destination, but also after a long working day back home. This also includes a bit of trust in humanity and values.
Money
You want to save money. Fuel is very expensive these days and is often not fully reimbursed. If you drive together, you can share these costs and thus be more economical. You can spend this money on other fun things, or just save it.
Use of space
You want public space to be used better. Finding a parking space is increasingly difficult due to the amount of cars and shortage of space. In addition, there are a lot of cars on the road which often causes traffic jams during rush hour. You find this very irritating and want this to change.
Comfort & safety
You value safety and comfort. Should you leave your property somewhere or have to wait without a ‘shelter’ yourself, you want to be able to do so with peace of mind. In addition, you find comfort important so that you can wait somewhere worry-free.
Your journey with C&R
Below you can see how the happiness changes during a trip and what this would look like if you use C&R instead of carpooling without the benefits of C&R. With C&R you could travel with someone you know, such as a neighbour, familymember or friend. Other possiblities are travelling via the company you work for (for more explanation see the business model) or using an existing app. This app would connect the driver with the lifter.
Business model
This new way of carpooling is a system that needs to be able to sustain itself. We created an ecosystem map that shows which stakeholders are involved, how they generate profit, and what specific roles they play in realizing this system. This release pressure on government agencies while opening up more space for business opportunities to meet the diverse needs of carpoolers.
The new facilities we offer are designed to make carpooling easier—not to monetize the already free carpooling areas. If carpoolers want to use waiting facilities and benefit from the efficient carpool network, they have multiple options to connect themselves to the new ecosystem. Each option generates new resource flows for both facilitators and users. Multiple ecosystems demonstrate how the system can sustain itself in different ways.
Full Business Model Chart
(Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland, 2025)
​This company helps people find a carpool ride via an app. For Carpool and ride the company offers the transfer hub facility as a service if the carpool ride includes a transfer.
This company manages and builds the transfer hubs
This is us
We are C&R, a design agency that proposes a system intervention to make carpooling a more feasible option. As a team we try to inspire and gather all stakeholders needed to implement this improvement in mobility.
Our process
Diverge by exploring off-campus and converge to three main mobility topics.
Interview targetgroups to set up personas and put them in an empathy map. 10 interviews done.
Look for design strategies to strengthen benefits and mitigate resistance.
Compare existing carpool apps, find their differences and look for the gap.
Start working on the first concept with a list of requirements.
​Clearly define the target group based on 4 interviews done about carpooling.
Dive into the user experience (how to attract C&R, experience during the travelling and look at the thresholds).
Look at all the concerned parties and potential stake holders.
Define who we are as a team.
Iterate on the concept and process all the new insights.
Prepare the advertorial, pitch and presentation.
Sources
Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek. (2024, April 14). CO2-uitstoot wegverkeer in 2022 met bijna drie procent toegenomen. Centraal Bureau Voor De Statistiek. https://www.cbs.nl/nl-nl/nieuws/2024/16/co2-uitstoot-wegverkeer-in-2022-met-bijna-drie-procent-toegenomen
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​Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland. (2025, January 16). Samen reizen - carpoolen en vanpoolen - werkgebonden personenmobiliteit. RVO.nl. https://www.rvo.nl/onderwerpen/start-met-verduurzamen-werkgebonden-personenmobiliteit/carpoolen
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Rijkswaterstaat & Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat. (2025, April 1). Ook in 2024 langer in de file op Nederlandse snelwegen. Rijkswaterstaat. https://www.rijkswaterstaat.nl/nieuws/archief/2025/04/ook-in-2024-langer-in-de-file-op-nederlandse-snelwegen
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UC Berkeley. (2018, October 22). The Benefits of Carpooling. Transportation Sustainability Research Center. https://tsrc.berkeley.edu/publications/benefits-carpooling
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Verkeerskunde. (2023, February 23). Auto’s rijden minder, zijn groter en leger. https://www.verkeerskunde.nl/artikel/autos-rijden-minder-zijn-groter-en-leger