Investigating the preferences of students towards the creation of a carpooling system serving the academic bodies of Thessaloniki city

Carpooling is regarded as an alternative, affordable, socially acceptable and environmentally friendly mean of transport, which corresponds to the modern socio-economic challenges and the travel behavioural changes. It is providing to the drivers and the passengers the opportunity to travel together using the same vehicle. Since it comprises a promising mobility solution, its promotion to the younger generations that are establishing their travel habits would be more efficient. Thessaloniki is a Greek medium sized city, which hosts many young people coming from areas all over the country to study at academic or technical/professional level. This paper investigates the introduction of a carpooling system serving the interurban trips of the students of Thessaloniki to their nearby home cities and vice versa. At present, the absence of many alternative mobility options, the increased cost of car driving and maintenance and the low level of service provided by the current interurban bus system of Thessaloniki constrain the mobility. Based on the findings derived from the review of University carpooling schemes, an on-line questionnaire was designed and an extensive questionnaire survey was conducted, being addressed to the university students of the city of Thessaloniki (namely, students of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), University of Macedonia and Technical Institution of Thessaloniki) in order to explore their preferences regarding the creation of a carpooling system, being managed by and provided exclusively to the members of the academic community. The analysis of the survey highlighted the positive stance of the respondents. Based on the survey's findings the carpooling's business model and the platform's structure were proposed to serve the students and the academic and administrative staff of the aforementioned Universities.