Join the new carpooling club at AU to give or get lifts

If you need a lift – or are willing to give a colleague or student a lift to or from Aarhus University – then the new carpooling club at AU might be just the thing. You can join the club through the FDM carpooling app Ta’Med, which is used by businesses and institutions all over Denmark.

According to Andreas Stounbjerg, AU’s climate initiative programme director,  a lot of staff and students have expressed a desire to do more to contribute to the university’s climate agenda.

“The more we carpool, the fewer cars are on the road, so this is one of the ways each of us can contribute to reducing the university’s carbon footprint. The new carpooling club is a tool that will make it easy to share lifts to and from campus, and which all of us are free to use whenever it suits us,” he said.

Stounbjerg, who helped start the carpooling club at AU, pointed out that carpooling can have other benefits as well.

“In addition to reduced carbon emissions, carpooling can also reduce the number of cars on the roads during the morning and afternoon rush – which will reduce travel times. And on a more personal level, you can also reduce your transportation costs, as well as meeting AU folks from from other units and disciplines,” he said. 

If you prefer to keep chitchat at a minimum during the trip, however, you can use the app’s chat function to make that clear in advance. The app also provides a lot of flexibility for people who want to offer lifts – for example, you can select a specific day of the week, or you can offer lifts ad hoc.

The Ta’Med app is used by a lot of other companies and institutions all over Denmark. So if you can’t find a lift with someone from AU, you can easily expand your search to other nearby destinations and find a match on your route.

To begin with, the carpooling club at AU will run for a trial period of eighteen months. Then the scheme will be evaluated, and a decision will be made as to whether it will continue.

How to join the club and share lifts

• Join the carpooling club at AU by downloading the FDM app Ta’Med and creating a user profile.
• Then add Aarhus University as your place of study/work.
• Use the code “AURide” to get access to the carpooling club at AU.
• The app will match you with potential lift-sharers.
• Read more at www.m.au.dk/en/tamed, where you’ll find instructions on using the app and answers to frequently-asked questions.

If you have any questions, you are welcome to contact Andreas Stounbjerg, programme director for AU’s climate initiative.