Car Clubs / Car Sharing Research Project
Motorists' Forum Conclusions and Recommendations
The Motorists' Forum was asked in the Government's 10 Year Transport Plan "to advise on how to promote car sharing and car clubs in rural areas." This report, and attached annexes, set out the key conclusions that we have drawn from the work we have commissioned in to this matter. In the light of these conclusions, we recommend that:
- DfT should fund a research programme to monitor developments in the UK and Europe, evaluate the performance of UK pilot projects and undertake further analysis. (Ideally, we consider this research project should run for 3 years to allow the pilot car club projects being sponsored by the Countryside Agency to come to fruition but DfT will wish to consider whether this is the right timescale given other initiatives the Department may be taking forward in this area).
- Depending on the findings from this research, DfT should review the wider role for car clubs and formal car sharing schemes by 2004 to inform the next round of Local Transport Plans and any revision of national planning guidance.
The Forum set up a Working Group under the chairmanship of Baroness Scott to look at the development opportunities car clubs and car sharing offered, not only in rural areas but also in the urban context. A research project was commissioned jointly with the former DTLR in May 2001 to study these opportunities. The consultants submitted their findings to the Forum in March 2002.
In essence, we believe that car clubs and formal car sharing schemes are unlikely to comprise major transport modes in the near future. Conventional car ownership will remain the dominant mode of travel and informal car sharing will continue to provide the basis for shared car journeys. However, we do believe that there is a potential niche role for car clubs and formal car sharing schemes to reduce congestion and improve accessibility in the right circumstances. Identifying these circumstances will be crucial to ensuring long term sustainability.
Our view is that car clubs are most likely to succeed organically in dense urban areas where there is good public transport provision and parking constraints. We particularly see considerable potential in establishing car clubs in high-density urban areas where these are linked to new developments in which parking is restricted. However, we do not believe that the perceived benefits of car clubs are presently sufficient to warrant a significant injection of public money to support individual projects without further research.
It also became clear during our work that there is now much greater flexibility in the car rental market. Rental companies are moving towards rental by the hour, as opposed to the day, thus giving consumers increased choice and improved accessibility. There may well be considerable advantage in encouraging rental companies to enter into innovative arrangements with those wishing to hire a car for a short period and we recommend that this avenue should be explored.
Turning specifically to the rural aspect of this project, it emerged during our work that the Countryside Agency (CA) has been charged in the Rural White Paper with encouraging a variety of car-based schemes in rural areas through the Rural Transport Partnership. Indeed, we understand that the CA are providing funding to assist in the setting up and monitoring of up to 16 rural car clubs over a 3-year period.
There are no results from the CA study yet and it will be difficult to draw firm conclusions relating to the likely success of such schemes before the results of these pilot schemes are known. However, our tentative conclusions on the evidence so far available is that car clubs in rural areas with low population densities are unlikely to be viable long-term.
Our research has established that social car schemes have an important role to play in improving accessibility in rural areas. We believe it is important that the CA should continue to work with the Community Transport Association in identifying the extent to which social car schemes operate in rural areas and to how best practice can be developed in the running of car sharing schemes. There is also a clear need to consider how existing social car schemes can be extended to groups other than the elderly and disabled and how they might cater for a wider range of journeys than currently exercised.
The following annexes are attached to this report.
- Annex A: a summary of our key conclusions arising from the research project
- Annexes B and C: our key conclusions and recommendations relating specifically to car clubs and car sharing in rural areas respectively
- Annexes D - G: our key conclusions and recommendations arising from the 4 specific consultant's reports covering:
- Annex D: Car Clubs in New Developments
- Annex E: Role of Local Authorities and Public Transport Operators in Successful Car Clubs
- Annex F: Potential Role of Car Sharing and Car Clubs within Socially Disadvantaged Groups
- Annex G: Role of Internet Matching Services
- Annex H: our key conclusions and recommendations arising from a Forum sub-group that looked at the Barriers to Accessing Insurance
- Annex I: our recommendations concerning Short Term Rental, Travel Plans and Champions
Annex A: a summary of our key conclusions arising from the research project
Key Conclusions
- Car clubs and formal car sharing schemes are unlikely to be major modes of transport in the near future. Conventional car ownership will remain the dominant mode of travel. Informal car sharing will continue to provide the basis for shared car journeys.
- There are several major barriers to implementation of car clubs - eg reduced independence, reduced status, exclusion of young people, difficulty in accessing parking stations, frustration when no car is available, technological unreliability, irresponsible behaviour of other club members and potential minimal cost savings.
- BUT there is a potential niche role for car clubs and formal car sharing schemes to reduce congestion and improve accessibility in the right circumstances. Identifying these circumstances is crucial to ensuring long term sustainability.
- It is also important to recognise that there are other more established car-based solutions which may be able to deliver significant policy benefits - eg commercial short term hire and leasing, and voluntary social car schemes.
- Car clubs are most likely to succeed organically in dense urban areas, where there is good public transport provision and parking constraints. However, the perceived social and environmental benefits of the car clubs concept in urban areas are insufficient at present to warrant a significant injection of public money to support individual projects without further research.
- There is, however, considerable potential in establishing car clubs in high-density urban areas where these are linked to new developments in which parking is restricted. Developers should be encouraged to "buy-in" to the concept of car clubs to stimulate the provision of such clubs.
- There is a case for changing the emphasis on the way car clubs are marketed - ie a move away from stressing environmental credentials to one of a "dynamic city lifestyle".
- Car clubs in rural areas with low population densities are unlikely to be viable long-term. BUT the results of the pilot schemes being funded by the Countryside Agency need to be considered before definite conclusions are established.
- The best prospects for formal car sharing are in 'closed' communities - eg companies or universities - where there is potentially more trust. Longer term, the development of more High Occupancy Vehicle lanes, greater parking control, and the introduction of congestion charging and/or workplace parking levies may encourage more formal and informal car sharing. Travel plans have an important role to play encouraging car sharing in these closed communities.
- Car sharing schemes - especially those using volunteers as drivers - also have a potential significant role to play in rural areas. There is a clear need to see how the current social car schemes that exist can be extended to other social excluded groups beyond elderly and disabled people.
Annex B: Our key conclusions and recommendations relating specifically to car clubs in rural areas
Rural Areas: Car Clubs
1. The experience and study of rural car clubs has been very limited. The Countryside Agency, in partnership with Carplus, Sustrans and Smartmoves are currently conducting experiments relating to trial car clubs in rural areas. Until these trials have been completed it is difficult to draw definite conclusions on the long-term viability of car clubs in rural areas with low population densities.
2. However, given the greater need for car ownership and limited public transport in rural areas, plus the fact that the scope for short term hire may be more limited in these areas due to the length of journeys that will be desired and the likelihood that the cars will be parked further away from homes than they might for urban schemes, our initial view is that it is probably not feasible to develop sustainable rural car clubs and for them to grow organically, even with public support.
3. There may be, however, some benefit providing small-scale funding for a community car in deep rural parishes under the auspices of the parish council, available as a community resource. But any such funding will need to be closely monitored to ensure the vehicle is actually used as a community resource and that it is provides value for money.
Recommendations
- The Countryside Agency should continue to support its Rural Transport Partnership with Carplus to demonstrate the car club concept in rural areas. This partnership should be extended to additionally focus on deep rural areas.
- Work undertaken by Carplus in respect of rural car clubs should be flagged-up and their monitoring of existing schemes continued. The monitoring should clearly identify the underlying factors relating to success or failure.
- Exploration should be made into the possibilities of providing small-scale funding for a community car - ie a "half-way" house between a car club and a social car scheme.
Annex C: Our key conclusions and recommendations relating specifically to car sharing in rural areas
Rural Areas: Car Sharing
1. There is a need for more flexible approaches in the use of cars in rural areas. Public transport cannot realistically provide for all travel in rural areas. It is important to maintain and enhance what public transport does exist, and thus it is also important to ensure that car sharing is focused towards providing for those journeys that cannot be served by public transport, and do not provide unnecessary competition. Car sharing therefore has a potentially significant role to play in rural areas.
2. Informal car sharing, usually based on friendship and kinship, can play an important part role in rural areas and indeed already comprises a major travel mode in these areas. Lift giving from friends and family is particularly important for young people.
3. Formal car share schemes in rural areas - essentially social car schemes which predominately use volunteers as drivers - are growing in number and scale. According to a recent Countryside Agency study, nearly all are used or available for medical journeys, and about 70% were available for social or others uses. 90% offer services for the elderly, about 70% for disabled people, and about 60% for rurally isolated people. In order to grow and function properly, there is a need for volunteers to be more easily found and in some cases more funding.
Recommendations
- The Countryside Agency should continue to work with Community Transport Association to identify the extent to which social car schemes operate in rural areas and to develop best practice in the running of car sharing schemes.
- There is a need to consider how existing social car schemes can be extended to groups other than the elderly and disabled and to cater for a wider range of journeys.
- Consider the scope for developing local car sharing networks around established rural institutions, such as the NFU and NFWI.
- Consider how a "champion" can be established to take schemes forward.
Annex D: Car Clubs in New Developments
Car Clubs in New Developments
1. The establishment of car clubs in new developments offers great potential and could make a significant contribution to the achievement of sustainable urban environments. They are most likely to be successful in high-density urban areas especially if linked to new developments with limited parking. London and other major cities and conurbations are likely to be the desired locations.
2. There is a need to ensure that where car clubs are established in new developments, provision is made for all residents within that development, particularly for those on low incomes.
Recommendations
- DTLR to support at least 2 existing or planned "pilot" car clubs at new developments as part of its research project. This would involve monitoring and evaluating these pilots with the view to disseminating best practice.
- Action is needed to raise the profile of the car club concept among developers and local authorities. It is suggested that a key means of achieving this could be to invite senior people from the industry and local Government to an event, hosted at Ministerial level, at which the contribution of car clubs to the encouragement of city centre living is emphasised.
- Residents on low incomes could be subsidised to join car clubs, thereby promoting the social inclusion agenda.
- GLA should highlight the potential role of car clubs at new developments in its Spatial Planning Strategy for London.
Annex E: Role of Local Authorities and Public Transport Operators in Successful Car Clubs
The Role of Local Authorities and Public Transport Operators in Successful Car Clubs
1. The role of local authorities is crucial in developing car clubs (except perhaps those designed for special target groups such as employees of a particular organisation) Providing funding, raising local awareness, and implementing an appropriate parking policy are perhaps the most important ways in which authorities can assist car clubs.
2. Action should be taken to raise the profile of the car club concept among authorities, even though there is a clear divergence of views between authorities as to whether car clubs are a good thing.
3. The role of public transport operators is a very useful one but it is not crucial. Operators can give added value but their involvement is not essential and at present the extent of any involvement is very much a local decision. Where they are involved, public transport operators' participation in a joint arrangement to provide discounted fares for club members can provide an important catalyst to the growth of car clubs. Both sides can also benefit from co-operation in areas such as marketing and smartcards.
4. Car clubs can help to encourage multi-modal lifestyle change through improved access to public transport where seamless ticketing arrangements are in place, especially judging by European experience. Ultimately, however, public transport operators need to be more aware and have faith in the concept.
Recommendations
- DTLR to support at least 1 existing car club where a major public transport operator is closely involved as part of its research project.
- Public transport operators should be made aware of the potential synergies between car clubs and public transport, perhaps through liaison with the Confederation of Passenger Transport.
- Transport for London, in particular, should be encouraged to take the car clubs concept forward in the capital, given the favourable conditions consistent with a high density urban environment.
Annex F: Potential Role of Car Sharing and Car Clubs within Socially Disadvantaged Groups
The Potential Role of Car Sharing and Car Clubs within Socially Disadvantaged Groups
1. Most car clubs are currently focused on affluent, environmentally aware households. There are significant barriers in extending such schemes to the more socially excluded households but car sharing and, to a much lesser extent, car clubs may have a role to play in improving accessibility for some disadvantaged groups (not all of which would welcome the disappearance of public transport).
2. Car sharing is cheaper than using a bus service. But the provision of such services would not cover everyone - some groups eg those representing people with mental disabilities would prefer their clients to be integrated into society by using public transport rather than car sharing schemes - and cars used in sharing schemes might need to be specially adapted.
3. Awareness of the potential contribution of car clubs and formal car sharing schemes to tackling social exclusion in the most deprived neighbourhoods is low. If car clubs and formal car sharing are to contribute, there needs to be better dissemination of information and best practice, especially to 'front line' participants in established local initiatives, such as Local Strategic Partnerships, Education/Health Action Zones.
4. The report did not look specifically at the establishment of car clubs or car sharing schemes for ethnic minority groups. However, it appears unlikely that there is a role for the establishment of such schemes - success in this respect is more likely to occur in informal schemes, particularly those where strong religious and cultural ties dictate that a particular location is visited regularly, such as a religious temple etc.
Recommendations
- DTLR, as part of its research project, to identify and support a socially excluded orientated car club that aims to reach out to specific disadvantaged groups.
- Guidance should be produced to familiarise the provider communities with the concepts of car clubs and car sharing and targeted at key community groups/areas, eg neighbourhood renewal areas, Education/Health Action Zones.
- Minimal adaptation of car club cars (eg variable seat belts, etc) should be adopted.
Annex G: Role of Internet Matching Services
The Role of Internet Matching Services
1. There are a large number of Internet matching sites available but the level of usage is very low. There are considerable personal security concerns with such sites and it is considered they are unlikely to take off. There is, therefore, no strong rationale for government subsidy of these sites.
2. There are specific problems with the use of such sites in rural areas where an insufficient number of people have access to the internet.
Recommendations
- The sheer volume of sites is a barrier to success. Part of the solution is to reduce the number and to identify one 'flagship' site that meets specific criteria and to publicise widely. However, it is recognised the Government is unlikely to be able to favour one such scheme.
- There is scope for internet matching schemes matching people travelling to special events. Consideration should be given to the organiser of such an event providing the matching service.
- In rural areas, a solution might lie in appointing a local co-ordinator with internet access.
Annex H: Our key conclusions and recommendations arising from a Forum sub-group that looked at the Barriers to Accessing Insurance
The Barriers to Accessing Insurance
1. The inability to gain suitable and affordable insurance cover is one of the biggest barriers to accessing a car club. The general perception of the insurance industry is that car clubs are high risk.
2. There are inherent risks associated with the number of different users driving each pool car. The difficulty in insuring young people is also a significant obstacle (impacting on social exclusion). The viability of insuring car clubs is further compromised over concerns relating to vehicle and key security.
3. Subsidising the insurance component of car clubs would be expensive and it is not considered that it would be appropriate to invest public funds in this way.
4. The insurance provisos in respect of car sharing are a vastly different concept to car clubs. The biggest risk relates to personal security. Carplus should provide advice on the type of insurance cover needed for car sharing schemes.
Recommendations
- There should be dialogue between the Government, local authorities, car club operators and other stakeholders on the question of providing suitable insurance cover for car clubs.
- DTLR should investigate as part of its research project whether the perceived view among the insurance industry that car clubs are high risk is justified.
Annex I: Our recommendations concerning Short Term Rental, Travel Plans and Champions
Other Matters: Car Clubs - Supporting Champions
1. Car clubs, given their novel status and limited public awareness, require champions to take the schemes forward. These champions are often members of environmental non-Government organisations or local authority officers. Identifying champions and providing them with the necessary skills to develop successful car clubs will be crucial if more car clubs are to be sustainable on a long-term basis.
Recommendation
- Carplus to continue to provide guidance to car club operators and to form an information and support network.
Other Matters: Travel Plans
2. Travel plans have an important role in encouraging formal car sharing schemes among companies, schools, colleges and hospitals, etc. DTLR has already issued guidance, funded site-specific advice and given bursaries to local authorities to provide travel plan co-ordinators. Intranet matching also has potential to facilitate car sharing among employees.
Recommendations
- DTLR and local authorities should continue to promote car sharing among company employees for both business and commuter journeys, as part of their travel plans. The economic benefits for companies of car sharing should be highlighted.
- Car sharing should also be promoted, where appropriate, as a way of travelling to school, in order to reduce the congestion and pollution associated with the 'school run'.
- DTLR should commission research on the take-up of car sharing within travel plans and its potential environmental benefits and contribution to modal shift.
Other Matters: Short Term Rental
3. The short term rental car sector is evolving, with more flexibility and better deals. Temporary rental could potentially be a real alternative to conventional car ownership, especially for occasional drivers in urban areas and one-car households who need a second car for specific journeys.
Recommendation
- Rental companies should continue to encourage more flexible, good value and short term rental contracts, and emphasise the consumer benefits of rental compared with conventional car ownership.