POOLED CARS
This article discusses the practice of carsharing or "pooling cars," as it is sometimes described, as an alternative to individual vehicle ownership. Simply described, carsharing is organized short-term car rental. Carsharing organizations (CSOs) or other organized groups of vehicle owners/users provide vehicles which are utilized by a variety of individuals during the course of a period of time, be it a day, a week, or longer. Thusly, members gain the use of a car without being responsible for maintenance costs (the CSO takes care of these expenses), other motorists benefit from fewer cars on the road, and there is less overall demand for parking spaces. Vehicles spend less time idly parked than would be the case in private ownership and carsharers utilize more public transportation when this use would suffice in lieu of driving themselves. Management and operation of carsharing networks are accomplished very much like that of traditional rental car companies, with vehicles being reserved for use in advance. Carsharing exists in North America and Asia, but is especially popular in Europe, where about 200 CSOs operate in 450 cities with individual membership of over 130,000. Surveys in Switzerland and Germany found users were typically males between 25-40 years of age, with above-average education and below-average income, and were likely to be environmentally sensitive. However, high membership costs and greater than anticipated frequency of use deter some members from remaining with carsharing programs. Even so, carsharing remains a viable alternative to individual vehicle ownership and could lead the way to a new range of transportation options for many.
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Corporate Authors:
University of California Transportation Center (UCTC)
University of California, Berkeley
2614 Dwight Way, 2nd Floor
Berkeley, CA United States 94720-1782 -
Authors:
- SHAHEEN, S
- Publication Date: 1999
Language
- English
Media Info
- Pagination: p. 20-25
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Serial:
- Access
- Issue Number: 15
- Publisher: University of California Transportation Center (UCTC)
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Automobile ownership; Commuters; Cooperation; Joint use; Mobility; Networks; Passenger cars; Rental cars; Vehicle sharing
- Geographic Terms: Asia; Europe; Germany; Switzerland; United States
- Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Passenger Transportation; Society; I70: Traffic and Transport;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00780043
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS
- Created Date: Dec 10 1999 12:00AM