Car Pool Scheme for Technopark Staff

Soon, people working in Technopark Thiruvananthapuram will be able to join a car pool to commute to work.

The Group of Technopark Companies (GTech), an association of the IT companies operating in Technopark, is setting up a Web site to facilitate car pooling among people working in the park. GTech is promoting this Web site in association with Palnar Transmedia, a Technopark-based company, as it wants to encourage the concept of car-pooling, Mr Satish Babu, Secretary, GTech, told Business Line. This project is part of GTech’s commitment to the Green Computing initiative.

Currently, there are no formal car pooling arrangements in Technopark, Mr Babu said. “The plan is to launch a Web site where registered users, especially IT professionals, commuting from the city and other areas within Thiruvananthapuram can find travel mates,” he explained. A user can search the Web site to zero-in on people who live in the same area as he or she does and commute to Technopark. Once a prospective travel partner is found, a user can contact him or her by sending in a request through the Web site’s administrator. Once two or more users are in touch, they can decide how their car pool will work; GTech will help them fine-tune the arrangement, if needed, he added.

Palnar Transmedia is developing the Web site and will also maintain it. The site is likely to be launched by the middle of April.

Developmental role
The car pooling project is one of several ventures that GTech is embarking on this year. All these activities are intended to establish GTech’s position that it is not just an industry organisation but also a catalyst for socio-economic development in Kerala, according to Mr Babu. So, besides looking after the interests of its members, the organisation will also play a developmental role. “In particular, GTech would like to highlight the need to be environment-friendly and society-friendly,” he added.

It is, for instance, planning to develop a corporate code on climate change, Mr Babu said. This code will be developed with an emphasis on practical measures to fight climate change at the individual and business levels. Similarly, the organisation plans to host a ‘development summit’ to craft strategies on how IT can be used for social and economic development. Also on the cards are ventures such as a study to understand how Kerala can be developed into a knowledge hub and the second edition of the Kerala Venture Capital Summit. Earlier this year, GTech held workshops on ‘a health lifestyle in IT workplaces’ and ‘food quality and nutrition’.