过年车票难买 大家拼车回家

Mr. Tan is a taxi driver in Guangzhou. He is planning to drive home with his wife for the upcoming Spring Festival. When learned about the carpooling campaign, he decides to help a stranger get to their hometown in Hunan province.　

"Many people from my hometown go home for family reunion during Spring Festival, and some of them drive home; therefore, we want to take part in this carpooling project."

Mr. Liu who works in Guangzhou is also from Hunan province. Different from Mr. Tan, he is still desperately struggling to find a way home. (upsound) He failed to get a train ticket, although he had made hundreds of phone calls trying to do.

Fortunately, the carpooling campaign has provided Mr. Liu the chance of sharing the trip home with Mr. Tan who is driving back to their hometown in Hunan province. Mr. Tan says:

"We'll send him first back home, then we'll head to my home."

Some people who received rides last year, have now acquired cars and hope to help out people who couldn't buy a train ticket. They are happy to give something back.

This is the second year that the non-profit alliance has matched car owners with passengers headed for the same destination. Last year, the alliance facilitated car-pooling for nearly 11,000 people during Spring Festival.

People can register via microblogs, telephone hotlines or the official website www.jlfhome.com. The organizer will verify the information and match riders with drivers. Though the organizer makes the match, participation is ultimately voluntary.

Those who decide to participate in the campaign sign a contract specifying the responsibilities before they start the trips and are covered by insurance paid by the organizer. The first 300 car owners who are successfully matched with their riders will be offered fuel subsidies by the sponsor.

According to the statistics by the campaign organizer, more than 10,000 people have registered to take part on the first day of the campaign. And the number of those registered is increasing.

When the traditional means of getting home - air and rail - fall short of the demand during the Spring Festival travel rush, car-pooling becomes increasingly popular.

For CRI, I am Zhang Wan.