In Kainuu, accessibility challenges also within the region – carpooling to help

Kajaani University of Applied Sciences aims to promote the use of carpooling in sparsely populated areas, especially in Kuhmo and Suomussalmi.

In Kainuu, accessibility challenges exist both for people arriving in the region and within the region.

Much has been said in recent weeks about the importance of air transport in Kainuu, but the infrequent train and bus services also pose challenges to mobility. The use of carpooling is being extorted to help.

Kajaani University of Applied Sciences has started a project to promote carpooling in sparsely populated areas, especially in Kuhmo and Suomussalmi.

– The golden age of carpooling was in the 60s and 70s, when people hitchhiked on the side of the highway with a thumb up and a sign telling about the destination. You rarely see that kind of thing anymore, nowadays rides are organized online.

At the moment, for example, you can find the Kainuu Kimppakyyti group and several other groups covering the whole of Finland on Facebook, without regional limitations. Browser-based applications include, for example, Kimppakyyti.com and Kyydit.net. BlaBlaCar.com, among others, is a well-known European and worldwide platform for offering and requesting rides. In some platforms, the user must log in, and in others, logging in is not required.

– In the project, we aim to tell people that such an option exists. We will highlight a few platforms to get more users on them so it will feed itself. In addition, we cooperate with Kuhmo and Suomussalmi on information and possibly events and information attacks.

Carpooling is wanted as a habit to diversify the travel of, for example, municipal residents, commuters and tourists in Kainuu. According to Rummukainen, the biggest benefit of carpooling is that the shared ride also shares costs from everyone.

– At the same time, it also saves the environment, because the shared ride is always away from some emissions. It is also communal. Along the way, you can make new friends, or at least your world view expands when you can discuss different topics.

The Kajaani University of Applied Sciences project will continue until the end of August 2025.