QandAs: Autos

What is a Vanpool?

Answer:
For commuters, the daily drive to and from the office

can be even more exhausting than the actual workday. In addition, large numbers of commuters driving to work can cause major traffic problems as well as smog and other forms of pollution. To counteract this, many companies have started vanpools, a way of carpooling to work in a company-owned van.

Many commuters enjoy riding in vanpools because of the advantages they offer. First of all, those who have to get up early for a long commute can relax or even sleep during the drive to and from the office. Others can catch up on reading or even work. The owner of the vanpool, whether a company or an individual, usually charges a small fee, which is much less than the commuter would pay in gas and tolls when driving by himself or herself. Sometimes companies provide a vanpool free of charge, as part of the perks of working for that company.

Vanpools also enjoy the privilege of traveling in the carpool or high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane, which typically moves much faster than other lanes of traffic. In the United States, there are many government and non-profit organizations that promote vanpooling.