Car Sharing FAQs

We suggest that drivers and passengers share the cost of petrol. Please note, drivers should not make a profit from sharing a car as in most countries this can invalidate their insurance and tax. If you have any concerns please contact your insurance company directly.

The Association of British Insurers clearly states that car sharing won't affect the insurance of their members, so long as a profit isn't made:

"Giving Lifts - All ABI motor insurers have agreed that if your passengers contribute towards your running costs, your insurance cover will not be affected, as long as lifts are given in a vehicle seating eight passengers or less. This agreement does not apply if you make a profit from payments received or if carrying passengers is your business." (Source: ABI website, 2008)

Drivers with any concerns should check with their insurance company as terms and conditions may vary between insurance providers. If you wish to contact your insurer in relation to your personal policy you can use this template letter.

The safety of Car Share Scheme members is a priority, and the website has been made as secure as possible. All member details are stored securely in the database and only members travel information can be accessed by other members. Your safety is further increased by sharing with members of the University through the private group.

When it comes to travelling, every member is responsible for his or her own safety. However, we do recommend that members follow some simple security measures:

•    Avoid exchanging home addresses with your travelling companion before you meet them.
•    Arrange to meet for the first time in a public place.
•    Inform a friend or family member of who you will be travelling with, when and to where.
•    Make sure you see each other's IDs - passports, student cards or driving licences - so you know you're travelling with the right person.
•    You are under no obligation to go ahead with any car share arrangement. If you have any doubts about your travelling companion, you should not travel with them.

It is your responsibility to check that the person you are sharing with has all the legal driving documents, such as driving licence, car insurance, MOT and car tax.

For more information about safety and security of personal information please read Carsharedevon's Terms and Conditions and their Privacy Policy.

A Liftshare team is created when two or more people who are registered on the University Car Share Scheme website have confirmed they are sharing.

Step 1 - Visit the University Car Share Scheme website > Click ‘Join for Free’ > Fill in your details!

Step 2- Enter the details of your journey > Select whether to search within the University's private group, or within the wider Devon group > Click 'Create Journey'. 

Step 3 - View your journey matches and contact others to start car sharing.

6.    I am a University tenant, can I join the University’s Private Car Share Group?
Yes. University tenants are eligible to join the University's private car share group.

Step 1 - Contact the Sustainability team who will provide the group password required to join the University’s Private Group.

Step 2 - Register via the University's Car Share Scheme website. Please note, if you wish to be eligible for a Car Share Permit and the car share 2+ parking spaces, you must register with: your full name and your work email address.

Yes. University tenants are eligible to join the University's private car share group.

Step 1 - Contact the Sustainability team who will provide the group password required to join the University’s Private Group.

Step 2 - Register via the University's Car Share Scheme website. Please note, if you wish to be eligible for a Car Share Permit and the car share 2+ parking spaces, you must register with: your full name and your work email address.

No, if you register with the private group then you can set your profile to receive notifications about potential matches from the public group (CarShareDevon) and you can search for car sharing matches in both the private and the public group. Please note, to be eligible for car share incentives you must have at least 2 University based car sharers who are entitled to a Standard Parking Permit and who are registered users of the University private car sharing group.

Step 1 - Search for a car share budy by clicking 'Find a Match' on the homepage.

Step 2 - Click 'Find out more' on an appropriate match and click 'Compose Message' to send a request to share.

Step 3 - Having found your match, you need to update your sharing status. Go to 'Contacts', confirm who you are sharing with, and set up a Liftshare Team when prompted.

Or

If a Liftshare team already exists for that member, you will be given the option to be added to that team.

NB: If you have already updated your status to ‘Sharing’ but have not created / joined a Liftshare team and would like to, you will need to click on ‘Sharing’ and then on ‘No’ and repeat step 4.

All University staff, students and tenants who are entitled to a University car parking permit and who are registered users of the University private car sharing group through carsharedevon.com (with a confirmed Liftshare team match) are entitled to apply for a Car Share Permit which entitles you to a free permit and use the preferential car sharing parking spaces. The Emergency Travel Home Scheme is only available to University staff. Contractors are not able to take advantage of car sharing incentives..

Yes, you need to be in a team of 2 or more people eligible for a University car parking permit. Each group must have a designated lead driver whose responsibility it will be to apply for a Car Sharing Permit.

Visit the car parking pages and download the car sharing permit application form. If you do not have access to a computer, you can call the Car Parking Office (01392 725678) carparking@exeter.ac.uk who will arrange for a form to be sent to you.

To incentivise car sharing we issue Car Share Permit's free of charge.

Permits will last for a period of twelve months, expiring in September each year, after which they may be renewed on application to Car Parking Office carparking@exeter.ac.uk (01392 725687) using the relevant forms  (this will be available by 1st November).

Car Share Permits purchased under the University Car Share Scheme which operates at the Exeter campuses are not valid at the Penryn campus. For information on the car share scheme which operates at the Penryn campus, see the Penryn car share pages.

Yes, contact the Car Parking Office (01392 725678) carparking@exeter.ac.uk and they will arrange for your car parking permit salary sacrifice payments to be stopped. If you have already paid the full amount then Campus Services Helpdesk will arrange for you to be reimbursed for the months remaining on the annual permit from the date of issue of the car sharing permit.

Yes, contact the Car Parking Office (01392 725678) carparking@exeter.ac.uk and they will arrange for your Car Sharing Permit to be cancelled and your standard Car Parking Permit to be issued. If you have already paid the full amount then Campus Services Helpdesk will arrange for you to be reimbursed for the months remaining the car sharing permit is valid for.

The former lead driver must relinquish their Car Sharing Permit. The new lead driver should contact the Car Parking Office (01392 725678) carparking@exeter.ac.uk and apply for a car sharing permit.

Any permit holder changing a registered vehicle should notify the Car Parking team and they will be issued with a replacement permit free of charge.

No, a car share permit entitles to you to use preferential car sharing car parking spaces but does not guarantee you a preferential car sharing car parking space.

Yes, you may park in the standard non-car sharing car parking spaces on University campuses.

If it is before 9.30am you must park in a standard non-car sharing car parking space, if it is after 9.30am you may park in a car sharing parking space.

No, if you are not car sharing then you must use your Authority to Park permit.

No. The system will match you with another employee who's journey details match yours but you do not have to share with them. Try meeting up over coffee to see whether your routines match, and whether you get along. If things don't work out, try one of your other matches.