PROJECTS
Funding
United Kingdom
Duration
-
Status
Complete with results
Geo-spatial type
Urban
Project Acronym
UG293
STRIA Roadmaps
Transport mode
Transport policies
Decarbonisation,
Societal/Economic issues
Transport sectors
Passenger transport
Overview
Background & Policy context
The current project was established to assess a variety of policy questions with regard to car clubs and car sharing.
Objectives
The work was seen to include a number of tasks:
- To identify through a literature review (plus correspondence and phone calls) examples of schemes overseas and identify the factors underlying their success of failure.
- To assess the scope of car sharing and car clubs for improving personal access to jobs, goods and services (with particular attention paid to the implications for rural area and minority groups, including young drivers, those with mobility problems and ethnic communities).
- To identify barriers to further take-up and effective development in England and recommend measures to encourage further schemes in ways which support the Government's integrated transport and sustainable development objectives.
- To consider the financial implications of such schemes, with particular emphasis on any cost savings to users of such schemes should they give up ownership of a car but also including any other affected groups, such as public transport operators.
- To consider the scope for pilot projects or demonstration studies and provide recommendations for further work to identify schemes which might be promoted by DTLR and/or The Motorists' Forum.
Methodology
Following tools of research were used in this project:
- a review of literature,
- a programme of interviews with professionals in the field,
- surveys among the public,
- analyses of costs and
- a review of key factors in the operating environment.
Funding
Parent Programmes
Institution Type
Public institution
Institution Name
Department for Transport
Type of funding
Public (national/regional/local)
Results
- Membership of a car club would result in financial savings for people who would otherwise own and run a new/newish car, but whose annual mileage is low. Also, depending on the charging structure adopted by the club, it can provide a saving for short trips made by people who do a high annual mileage. A simple comparison of costs would, however, be misleading for two reasons: firstly because it is difficult to persuade drivers to take the fixed costs of car ownership into account and secondly because people put a high value on convenience. People are unlikely to be persuaded to join car clubs simply because they can save money by so doing. The decision to join a car club must be seen as part of a wider decision to adopt a multi-modal lifestyle making use of car club cars for some journeys but using public transport, taxis, hire cars, bicycles or walking for others.
- There is considerable mutual advantage from co-operation between public transport operators and car club organisers.
- Car clubs can bring reductions in car traffic if their members would otherwise be car owners. The opposite effect would occur if the members would not otherwise be car owners.
- Car clubs cannot compete in terms of cost with ownership of an old car for which the depreciation is minimal. This will make it difficult to achieve the environmental benefit to be gained by persuading owners to scrap inefficient/polluting vehicles.
- Car clubs might reduce social exclusion by offering access to a car to people who do not currently own one. However, this potential benefit is likely to be elusive for two reasons:
- firstly because car club membership is not cheaper than ownership and use of an old car and
- secondly because the disadvantaged groups are not likely to be easy to serve (insurance costs, sparse population, culture, inability to raise the required deposit).
- The strongest prospect for car clubs is in densely built-up areas with good public transport and a shortage of parking. The potential for incorporating car clubs into new low-car developments is particularly attractive.
- The introduction of workplace parking levies could help to spawn car clubs – depending on the interpretation of exemption rules.
- A useful body of expertise has been built up by the relatively small group of people currently involved in the organisation of car clubs.
- Car clubs currently suffer from an image problem -
Policy implications
Car sharing can make a useful contribution towards reduction in traffic levels.
- Car sharing can offer a more cost-effective method of providing mobility to certain communities than is possible with conventional public transport.
- Car sharing is likely to abstract revenue from conventional public transport.
- Car sharing can make a useful contribution towards reducing the need for parking spaces at places of employment.
- Car sharing can be encouraged by provision of priority measures for HOVs.
- Car sharing is likely to be encouraged by the introduction of workplace parking levies and road-user charging.
- The amount of informal car sharing is likely always to be greater than that of organised car sharing.
- Good practice in the organisation of car sharing schemes is well established.
Urban<?xml:namespace prefix = o />Key Findings
No results directly relevant to this theme. However, please note that some findings relevant to the project's key theme (User Aspects) are generically applicable.Policy Implications
In relation to the Urban theme, this project surmises that car club membership can have the following policy implications:
- Car sharing can make a useful contribution towards reduction in traffic levels.
- Car sharing can offer a more cost-effective method of providing mobility to certain communities than is possible with conventional public transport.
- Car sharing can make a useful contribution towards reducing the need for parking spaces at places of employment.
- Car sharing is likely to be encouraged by the introduction of workplace parking levies and road-user charging.
Documents
Partners
Lead Organisation
EU Contribution
€0
Partner Organisations
EU Contribution
€0