The Catlins and South Otago car pool service was unveiled by Clutha Mayor Juno Hayes, who logged on to its website and found someone offering him a ride back to the council chambers after the formalities in Balclutha.
Co-ordinator Diana Noonan said it was a simple idea aimed at reducing the number of cars on the roads, to help reduce CO2 emissions, bring more visitors to the area and to encourage motorists to think more carefully about the use of their vehicles and how they could combine with others to save money.
Spreading the word about the scheme would be crucial, she said.
Mr Hayes congratulated organisers for the innovative idea, calling it a "brilliant concept".
Ensuring plenty of people knew about the scheme would be a challenge, as would providing fast access to the website.
The website was launched at a gathering of about 25 people, some of whom embraced the idea by car-pooling together for the ceremony.
The website, which can be reached by searching for "Catlins South Otago Car-Pooling", allows users to register for a one-off ride or to sign up for a car-pool service.
The one-off journeys could be for shopping trips, a weekend visit or a trip to the airport.
Regular users may be looking to share the costs of commuting to work.
