15 positive benefits of car share

15 positive benefits of car share

There aren’t many new businesses that can claim to have a positive impact on the user, the community, the environment and the country in general.

Victoria Carter, founder of Cityhop reckons members of the Cityhop Club, NZ’s first car share company are doing just that. She points to Zipcar, the world’s largest car share company’s research that shows that every car share car takes 20 personally owned cars off the road.

We have 20 cars in our club so far so that’s potentially 400 cars.

Carter says, “Zipcar and Streetcar, the English car share company have also researched their members and found they drive less – up to 68 per cent less after joining car share, choosing other forms of transportation instead of a personal car.

She explains, car share members tend to walk more. The fact that aren’t driving by everywhere means it is one less car on the road, making it safer for other pedestrians and cyclists. This results the environment benefits from fewer cars on the road contaminating the water and air and putting out CO2. The country benefits from less cars on the road meaning the roads require less maintenance, there is less demand for more roads, infrastructure and so on.

“Less money tied up in cars means members have more money to spend in their local economy too. Some of our members have deliberately sold their car now they know they can have wheels when they need them. When you look at the AA cost of ownership and then look at how many trips you really need your car for it doesn’t take long to see the money savings from selling a car and car sharing.”

What are the other positive benefits from car share.

1. Car share like Cityhop saves members time, money and hassles

2. Car share supports those who have the occasionally need of a car but make a habit of walking or biking.

3. If you use public transport and have occasional need of a car Cityhop is public transport’s missing link.

4. Car share supports poorer people (they have cheap effective access when they need a car without being locked into high maintenance bills of using a high mileage older modal car).

5. Car share, like Cityhop, is for anyone, rich or poor, who wants to move about their city easily.

6. Car share reduces congestion - fewer cars on the road = less traffic. Overseas research has proven that each car share car takes up to 20 cars off the road.

7. Car share makes better use of the urban landscape -but smart councils could offer incentives to developers to include a car share space in their large developments so more people can live car free.

8. Car share means more parking is freed up. This has other benefits - like less need for more infrastructures like car parks.

9. Less cars on the road means better air quality and cleaner waterways and fewer CO2 emissions.

10. Fewer cars on the roads means improved public safety as pedestrians and cyclists benefit from less cars on the road.

11. People who car share walk more and drive less.

12. Car sharing encourages neighbourliness and co-operative action by citizens. For example - many car sharers consider car pooling. Shall we go to the shops together neighbour? What day suits you? Cityhop can’t wait for the day we put our first car in the ‘berbs.’

Now how about these radical concepts:

13. Car share supports the local economy 1: Former car owners save thousands per year by not owning a depreciating asset and car sharing when they need wheels. Money saved gets spent locally.

14. Car share supports the local economy 2: Less money needs to be spent on road construction, maintenance and new roads.

Lastly the 15th, positive impact - one of the business benefits. Cityhop has noticed car share results in a more economic use of fleet cars for businesses.
ENDS

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