DGT’s plan to reduce rush hour stress: Share cars, avoid the hassle

Spain’s traffic authority is trying a new approach in the fight against pollution, accidents, and daily congestion. Instead of new fines and restrictions, the General Directorate of Traffic has opted for a simpler solution: asking people to share their vehicles on their way to work.

On Monday, January 19, the DGT will launch a pilot scheme called ‘28027 Comparte Coche’, aimed at encouraging workers based around its Madrid headquarters to car-share their daily commute. The project targets both DGT employees and those from neighbouring firms, located in one the most busy working districts of Madrid.

The goal of the project is to reduce traffic, improve safety on roads, and make rush hour more pleasant.

Why the DGT has focused on daily commutes

The pilot project will be conducted in the 28027 Madrid district, which is a densely populated area of offices with thousands of employees who travel to and from work every day. DGT believes that the 28027 district of Madrid is the ideal location to test whether car-sharing can really reduce pressure on roads.

The authority claims that too many vehicles still only carry one person. This is especially true during rush hour commute times. DGT wants to reduce traffic by encouraging employees with similar schedules and routes to share cars.

Some well-known organizations have already taken part in the initiative. These include Banco Santander as well as Alsa, Grupo Planta, Vocento and Asisa. These companies could potentially have more than 5,000 workers who are willing to participate.

To formalise the project, DGT director Pere Navarro signed a collaboration agreement with Paloma Martín, co-founder and CEO of mobility platform Tribbu, which will provide the technological backbone for the scheme.

How ‘28027 Comparte Coche’ will actually work

Tribbu has provided a digital platform to facilitate carpooling. Employees of participating companies will be able sign up, search for colleagues who have similar journeys, plan shared routes, and track their participation.

The goal of this project is to simplify car sharing and make it practical. This will remove some of those everyday obstacles which usually discourage people.

Parking is one of the obstacles. DGT will provide up to 30 parking spots at its headquarters to car-sharing members who don’t have access to their own parking.

Paloma Martín says the aim is to turn car sharing into a normal part of commuting, not a one-off experiment. She said that the pilot was a step in making shared commuting an everyday option.

She also said that she hopes that between 10 to 15 percent of staff members will participate in the project. This figure could already have a noticeable impact on traffic levels at peak times.

Safety, emissions and the city space

Pere Navarro believes that the initiative is more than just a matter of convenience. He believes that shared mobility in cities is essential, especially where space is scarce and traffic is increasing.

The DGT director said that car sharing improves the efficiency of the transport system, helps to optimise the public space and reduces pollution. He also stressed the importance of public–private cooperation, saying that partnerships like this one are key to developing more sustainable and inclusive mobility solutions.

Statisticians explain why DGT has treated the journey to and from work for years as a high priority area in road safety. According to data from Spain’s National Institute for Safety and Health at Work, one out of every ten accidents at work that results in sick leaves is a traffic-related incident.

Where these accidents occur is even more shocking. Seventy-two per cent occur during ‘in itinere’ journeys – the daily trip between home and the workplace. Consequently, reducing the number of vehicles on the road during these hours could have a direct influence on accident numbers.

Small pilots with bigger ambitions

For now, ‘28027 Comparte Coche’ remains a local pilot, limited to one district and a specific group of workers. DGT will monitor closely whether the program is delivering results.

The scheme, which relies on collaboration rather than enforcement, could be a model for similar initiatives in other countries.

Spain is still searching for ways to reduce traffic and improve road safety. This project has a simple message: sharing the trip can sometimes be the answer.