MOTORISTS are being urged to sign up to a car share scheme – to save money and help the environment.

Bicester Vision is backing the initiative for the town, and believes if commuters joined the scheme there could be a 50 per cent drop in traffic.

The scheme’s launch coincides with National Car Share Day on June 9, but organisers want people to make it permanent.

Car sharers can sign up free online, and members can search for drivers or passengers who travel to the same destination and team up.

Rachel Faulkner, Bicester Vision manager, said the scheme could save people hundreds of pounds in fuel and parking, by splitting the cost.

She said: “Bicester, like many local towns, suffers from traffic problems at certain times of the day.

“We are keen to look at many different solutions to help ease the jams.

“We also know that for many people money is tight, and saving a bit on fuel or parking could be helpful.

“If everybody car shared, you could cut traffic by 50 per cent.

“You don’t have to do it every day; even just once a week will make a difference.”

Mrs Faulkner said the scheme was also a chance to make new friends. She added: “We are helping to promote the scheme because of the many financial, social and environmental benefits it can bring.”

The initiative can also be used for people wanting to split the cost of a longer one-off journey, or to avoid walking home alone in the dark.

For further information, or to register for the scheme, go to the group’s website www.bicestervision.co.uk