Here are the certified savings that carpooling generates

High fuel prices as a driver for local transport policies. Whilst the price of petrol continues to put a strain on household budgets, local authorities and metropolitan cities are beginning to view carpooling not merely as a means of promoting environmental sustainability, but as a practical response to the rising cost of daily travel. This is one of the findings emerging from Jojob’s ‘Osservatorio Aziende in Movimento 2026’ report, which, for the first time, links the growth of corporate car-sharing communities with the initial shared mobility projects promoted directly at a local level.

“The issue of environmental pollution has always been a major concern, but it has never been enough to prompt certain political decisions,” observes Gerard Albertengo, managing director of Jojob. “Instead, the rise in fuel costs, combined with tensions and concerns over energy supplies, is likely demonstrating that solutions can be found to long-standing problems, such as the need to reduce oil consumption: carpooling meets this need.”

The economic impact is particularly evident for commuters. With the price of diesel having risen from 1.70 to 2.20 euros per litre, for example, a worker who travels an average of 27 kilometres to get to work faces an increase in annual expenditure of around 800–900 euros. It is against this backdrop that the first pilot schemes promoted by local authorities are emerging. Turin, Brescia and Florence are currently the leading examples of a trend that is still in its infancy but which could gather pace in the coming years. The three projects have collectively recorded 94,852 certified journeys, of which 41,996 were made as drivers and 52,856 as passengers. Car-sharing has made it possible to estimate that 1.18 million kilometres of journeys by private car were avoided, along with 153,404 kilograms of direct CO₂ emissions, whilst nearly 42,000 euros in incentives were distributed to users.

The Turin Metropolitan City project, funded by European Alcotra grants as part of the Amici project, has been running since September 2025 and has recorded 37,366 journeys. In Brescia, where 15 local authorities are involved, the scheme pays 7 cents per kilometre to both the driver and the passenger, up to a maximum of 2 euros per day per person: 13,817 journeys have been certified since the scheme began. Florence, on the other hand, is the most established regional project, with 43,669 certified journeys.

The interesting point, for local authorities, is that carpooling can be transformed into a measurable public policy – a system that brings together local communities, incentives, journey verification and reporting. The ability to quantify journeys, the kilometres taken out of private traffic and the incentives provided means this approach can be used alongside traditional local transport schemes. ‘Carpooling is also beginning to attract the attention of the Italian public administration,’ says Albertengo. ‘For the time being, however, it is still being promoted on a trial basis. The expectation is that, within one or two years, incentive schemes may be introduced at national level too, following the model of France, Spain and Germany.’