STAFF at Torfaen council are being urged to share lifts to work in a bid to cut congestion and pollution.

The council has started a 'Car2Share' database for staff working at Cwmbran's County Hall and Pontypool's civic centre, and the scheme is already a huge success.

Staff who sign up on the database are not obliged to share a car, and do not have to do so every day, but if every driver shared just one day a week, car usage would drop by 10%.

Sharing a car with one or more people can save drivers up to £1,000 a year in petrol costs. Pollution and congestion would also be cut by 10%.

Councillor John Marshall, cabinet member for the environment, said: "The main idea behind the scheme is that fewer cars on the roads means less pollution and car jams in and around Torfaen. Because we have such a large staff and most of them drive to work we are doing this to make their journey to work easier and help the environment."

Council staff who work in Pontypool already find it difficult to park close to the civic centre. The redevelopment of Pontypool's top car park later this year will see a reduction of spaces in the town, so the Car2Share scheme will prove invaluable.

Corporate services officers Martyn Long, 22, and Kelly Rickard, 24, have been car sharing for nine months. Martyn lives in Cardiff Bay, Kelly lives in Penarth and they both work in Pontypool civic centre, a daily round trip of approximately 60 miles.

Mr Long said: "When we found out we lived so close together it seemed silly us both using our cars, so we started sharing for convenience.

"We've both saved a lot of money, and with the redevelopment of Pontypool coming up it will be easier for us to find parking spaces."

* Driver Tom Roberts and car-sharing council colleagues.