Jane Nees BOP Regional Councillor www.janenees.co.nz

As internet speeds get faster we are seeing huge advances in technology and software programmes to help make aspects of our life easier.

On my iPhone I can do my internet banking, participate in a video conference, change my air flights, order my grocery shopping, keep up with the news and the weather, book programmes for recording on my TV – just to name a few of the applications that I never thought that I would find so useful.

In every industry sector, organisations are looking at how they can use the web and social media to add value to their customers and get a wider market penetration. The key thing of importance is that technology solutions add value to people, are convenient and preferably saves them time and money. But they don't have to be new and shiny to add value.

Here in the Bay of Plenty we have a website which helps people to avoid the price pinch at the petrol pump by carpooling. Carshare BOP is a free website which links up people in the Bay wanting to share car trips and it has been upgraded so it's now even easier for people to give carpooling a go. Anyone can register for free at www.carsharebop.co.nz to link up with potential car poolers either in their area or on their travel route. Carshare BOP also has a travel log function where members can log how they travel each day and calculate the dollars, kilometres, fuel and emissions saved. The site uses Google Maps for better journey planning and a message board for easier communication between members. Carshare BOP's online database can also identify people at your workplace or people with similar work schedules and lifestyle preferences so the chance of finding a useable match is high. Member's details are stored securely in the database and only intended travel information can be accessed online.

The Bay of Plenty region is well suited to carpooling. There are a number of semi-rural communities meaning many people commute across the region to work each day. Carshare BOP can link up those commuters so they save on daily travel costs. Around 90 per cent of people who register with Carshare BOP are matched up with another user. Travelling with others can mean you can reduce your transport costs by up to $1000 a year.

There are no set obligations for car sharing – it's completely flexible. You choose when you want to car pool, who you go with and what the ground rules are. Carshare BOP just provides the opportunity to link up with potential car poolers - people who fit in with how you want to travel. For more information visit www.carsharebop.co.nz or email info@boprc.govt.nz – and maybe even give it a go!

If you have any views on this or any other issue, please email me neesj@xtra.co.nz or phone 07 579 5150. Or you can check out my website: www.janenees.co.nz