BENGALURU: Traffic police have looped in six startups to given a massive push to promote carpooling . At least five firms which operate carpooling apps have been a given common platform and a mandate to incorporate companies in the city's southeast region which hosts a large number of tech firms. This aims to reduce 50,000 vehicles from the roads in six months, a target set by traffic police.

Police roped in the department of information technology and bio-technology for the campaign. The department assured that incentives will be provided for companies which promote carpooling. Manjula V, principal secretary, department of IT-BT, said employees of tech companies will be encouraged to carpool.

Letters have been sent to several companies in the southeast region to participate in the project. "Most of the traffic to these IT regions comes from south Bengaluru as per our evaluation. Carpooling is a viable option to decongest the roads. Such a project needs a lot of effort to change the mindset of people and we're ready for that," said MA Saleem, additional commissioner of police, law and order.

At the interaction with Electronic City Industries Association , Outer Ring Road Companies Association and Whitefield Export Promotion Park Industrial Association, there were many questions about the project. These included flexible timings of companies, changing mindsets of companies and lack of incentives for carpoolers.

Officials of carpooling apps said apps can address the issues. "Our apps mainly target large companies and make it easy for employees to find carpooling partners within their companies. We're in talks with many MNCs in the city," said Ravikumar Kumaraswamy , founder of GreenPool . Srinath S, co-founder and CEO of Let's Ride Along said the apps have options for incentives as well. "For each kilometer, points will be provided for facilitators which can converted into cash for a petrol card," he said.