An Exmouth commuter who clocks up 12,000 a year getting to work has endorsed a new car share scheme.

David Carson says he has slashed his annual petrol bill by 60 per cent from around �1,900 for 300 gallons a year to around �750 thanks to the to carsharedevon.com.

Carsharedevon.com is the largest public lift sharing scheme in the country and enables motorists to find others to share their journey with.

It is commissioned by Devon County Council, in partnership with Plymouth and Torbay Councils.

Mr Carson shares with three others on his commute to Ashburton and said: “I was driving a little over 1,000 miles a month and even with an LPG powered car the costs were taking their toll on my finances.

“Car sharing has reduced my monthly mileage to around 300 which has reduced my costs and the wear and tear on my car.

“With one of the group also living in Exmouth there are days when my car does not move off the drive at all.

“Using the Carsharedevon website has saved me a fortune on fuel, servicing and my insurance, because of the reduced annual mileage.”

Councillor Stuart Hughes the county council’s cabinet Member for transport said: “It continues to go from strength to strength and it’s great news that it has now surpassed a figure of more than 8,000 members.”

Carsharedevon.com is completely free to use, and it only takes five minutes to sign up and search for suitable matches.

The typical commuter who car shares every day can potentially save around �800 a year, while those who manage to fill all their spare seats often save in excess of �2,000,

To register for free, go to www.carsharedevon.com.