Car Clubs / Car Sharing Research Project
Car Share and Car Clubs: Potential Impacts (Final Report)
Prepared by Peter Bonsall;
with acknowledgements to Ann Jopson, Alison Pridmore, Andrea Ryan and Paul Firmin.
Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds
Executive Summary
Acknowledgements
1. Introduction
2. Summary of Findings from Phase One
2.1 Findings from the Literature Review
2.1.1 Car clubs
2.1.2 Car sharing
2.2 Findings from the Interviews and Surveys
2.2.1 Benefits and disbenefits of car clubs
2.2.2 Factors affecting the performance of car clubs
2.2.3 Benefits and disbenefits of car sharing
2.2.4 Factors affecting the amount of informal car sharing
2.2.5 Factors affecting the performance of organised car sharing schemes
2.2.6 Other comments on car clubs and car sharing
3. The Operating Environment
3.1 Cost Comparisons
3.2 Key Trends in the Operating Environment
3.3 Policy Scenarios
3.3.1 Changes in the operating environment which might favour car clubs
3.3.2 Changes in the operating environment which might favour car sharing
3.4 Types of Community in which Car Sharing and Car Clubs might be encouraged
3.4.1 Car Clubs
3.4.2 Car sharing
4. Conclusions on the Potential Role of Car Clubs and of Car Sharing
4.1 Car clubs
4.2 Car Sharing
5. Potential Policy Interventions
5.1 To Encourage Car Clubs
5.1.1 Direct financial support or other assistance for one or more car clubs
5.1.2 Sponsorship of third parties to provide assistance, advice and services for existing or nascent car clubs
5.1.3 Increased Publicity for the concept of car clubs
5.1.4 Encourage greater involvement by the private sector in the organisation of car clubs
5.1.5 Working with local authorities to bring about initiatives to favour car clubs
5.1.6 Working with other agencies to promote the development of car clubs
5.1.7 Designation of car clubs as a form of public transport
5.1.8 Development of analytic capability to assess the likely impact of measures to promote car clubs
5.2 To Encourage Car Sharing
5.2.1 Increased general assistance for the organisers of car sharing schemes
5.2.2 Provision of financial support and other assistance to selected car sharing schemes
5.2.3 Publicity to promote car sharing and/or car sharing schemes
5.2.4 Working with local and national highway authorities to introduce initiatives which would specifically favour car sharing
5.2.5 Working with other agencies to develop initiatives which would encourage car sharing
5.2.6 Development of analytic capability to assess the likely impact of measures to promote car sharing
6. Preliminary Assessment of Potential Interventions
6.1 Criteria for selecting interventions for further investigation
6.2 Discussion of candidates for further investigation
6.2.1 Investigating the scope for involvement of planners and developers in the establishment of car clubs
6.2.2 Investigating the scope for involvement of employers in the establishment of car clubs and/or car sharing schemes
6.2.3 Investigation of the possibility of encouraging car sharing and/or car clubs among ethnic minority groups
6.2.4 Investigating the scope for establishment of car sharing and/or car clubs in rural areas
6.2.5 Investigating the scope for solving the problem of insurance cover for car clubs and car sharing schemes
6.2.6 Investigation of the role of Internet-based car sharing matching services
6.3 Assessment of potential topics
6.4 The Steering Group's selection
6.4.1 Car Clubs in New Developments
6.4.2 The Role of Local Authorities and Public Transport Operators in Successful Car Clubs
6.4.3 The Potential Role of Car Sharing and Car Clubs within Socially Disadvantaged Groups
6.4.4 The role of Internet Matching Services
7. Findings from Phase Three Studies
7.1 Car Clubs in New Developments
7.1.1 To raise awareness and create an appropriate brand image
7.1.2 To achieve support for the concept
7.1.3 To secure funding to support car clubs during their early years
7.1.4 To provide guidance on practical issues
7.1.5 To increase the attractiveness of car clubs in new developments to potential members
7.2 The Role of Local Authorities and Public Transport Operators in Successful Car Clubs
7.2.1 To raise awareness
7.2.2 To achieve political support
7.2.3 To secure funding to support car clubs during their early years
7.2.4 To provide guidance on practical issues
7.3 The Potential Role of Car Sharing and Car Clubs within Socially Disadvantaged Groups
7.4 The role of Internet Matching Services
Appendix I: Documents Consulted During Phase One of the Work
Appendix II: Consultees
Appendix III : Questionnaire Used with Members of the Public
Appendix IV: Assumptions used in compilation of Tables 3.1-3.3
- Final Report (Adobe Acrobat - 464kb)
Executive Summary
Following 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, we have drawn the following conclusions on the role and prospects for car clubs and for car sharing:
- 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 - they are invisible to most people and misunderstood by others; some people are off-put by their 'green' image, and some transport planners see them as a threat to conventional public transport, walking and cycling.
- 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.
- Potential exists for an increase in the number of organised car sharing schemes.
Following an extensive review of potential policy options, we proposed 34 topics which could be taken forward to the next phase of work. After a series of discussions with the Steering Group and provision of further information on 17 proposals, four areas of further work were specified and agreed. Separate reports have been produced for each of the following topics:
- Car Clubs in New Developments
- The Role of Local Authorities and Public Transport Operators in Successful Car Clubs
- The Potential Role of Car Sharing and Car Clubs within Socially Disadvantaged Groups
- The Role of Internet Matching Services.
Summaries of each of these reports are included within section 7 of this document.
The report on car clubs in new developments concludes that they have great potential and could make a significant contribution to the achievement of sustainable urban environments. Eighteen recommendations are made for actions and research to promote the establishment of successful car clubs in new developments. The recommended actions are designed to:
- raise awareness and create an appropriate brand image
- achieve support for the concept
- secure funding to support car clubs during their early years
- provide guidance on practical issues, and
- increase the attractiveness of car clubs in new developments to potential members.
The report on the role of local authorities and public transport operators in the development of car clubs conclude that local authority involvement is crucial to the success of car clubs and that that the involvement of public transport operators in a joint arrangement to provide discounted fares for club members can provide an important catalyst to their growth. Eighteen recommendations are made - 9 of which are the same ones made in the previous report. The recommended actions are designed to:
- raise awareness and create an appropriate brand image
- achieve support for the concept
- secure funding to support car clubs during their early years, and
- provide guidance on practical issues.
The report on the role of car clubs and car sharing in improving the accessibility of disadvantaged groups concludes that they may have such a role for certain groups and that this may lead to cost savings. We identify six situations in which particular potential exists. We identify nine barriers to the realisation of this potential and make fourteen proposals for action or research to help overcome these barriers.
The report on the role of Internet matching services concludes that the current sites are having minimal impact and are struggling to survive but that they do have a potential role in certain specialist niches. The arguments for and against government action are rehearsed. Actions and research are suggested which could help to overcome some of the existing barriers to the success of Internet matching sites and thereby realise more of their potential. Briefly, these are:
- Selection of for one or more Internet matching services for Government support
- Support for selected sites
- Promotion of the use of localised matching services
- General support for car sharing
- Ensuring wider access to Internet matching services
- Promotion of Internet Matching for Car Sharing to Special Events, and
- Associated research.
The report ends with a list of ideas for further work which emerged during the first two phases of the project but which were not pursued further.
Acknowledgements
I would like to acknowledge the contributions which my colleagues, Ann Jopson, Alison Pridmore, Andrea Ryan and Paul Firmin made to the work programme summarised in this document. I would also like to acknowledge the enormous influence which the Steering Group had on the progress of the work.
Much of the material reported here and in the supplementary reports was gathered via interviews and discussions with people who are directly involved with car clubs or car sharing. Without their willingness to share their thoughts and opinions with the research team, the project would not have been possible. I have not attributed views or opinions to individuals and accept that some of those who participated in discussions with my colleagues or myself may not agree with all the conclusions reached. I accept full responsibility for any failure on our part to understand or represent their opinions.
Among those who helped the project in this way, I would like to mention the following: John Aylwyn (Bryant Homes), Richard Balcombe (TRL Ltd), Chas Ball (Smart Moves Ltd), Judy Ballard (Car Plus - formerly CCSN), Valdis Belinis (LB Stepney), Judith Bolton (Smart Moves Ltd - Edinburgh City car club), Alan Butcher (LB Camden), Sally Cairns (Centre for Transport Studies UCL), Miranda Carter (Mobility and Social Inclusion Unit, Cabinet Office), Steve Cousins (Campus Car Cranfield), Alastair Cox (Bristol City Council), Alistair Duff (Transport Policy Advisor, BAA Heathrow), John Elliot (Pfizer), Iris Eiting (BEST Car Club Bristol), Annette Everidge (St James Homes, Deptford), Richard Finch (LB Camden), Geoff Forse (Woodgate Car Club, Leicester), Michael Froemming, Geoff Gardner (North Yorkshire County Council), Steve Grayson (DTLR), Michael Glotz-Richter (City of Bremen), Rachel Hill (Bath Car - Envolve), Pip Howson (LB Southwark), Tony Kirk (Milton Keynes), Mark Lambert (DTLR Rural Bus Challenge), Reiner Langendorf (Mobility car sharing, Switzerland), John Lewis (British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association), Margaret Longes (DTLR School Transport Advisory Group), Karen Lucas (Social Exclusion Unit, Cabinet Office), Iain Macbeth (Nottinghamshire County Council), Joan McGarvey (LB Kensington and Chelsea), Heather McInroy (BAA, Heathrow), Jonathan Morgan (Morgans City Living, Leeds), Peter Muheim (Mobility car sharing, Switzerland), Brendan Noonan (Smart Moves Ltd, Driveshare Car Club, Coventry), Ake Nylen (Drive-IT systems AB, Sweden), Alison Pilling (West Yorkshire METRO), Jo Rathbone (Coventry Car Share), Anthony Ray (Planning Consultant), Antonia Roberts (Car Plus -formerly CCSN), Ian Roberts (Avis Carvenience), Tom Rye (Transport Research Institute, Napier University), James Ryle (Sustrans), Ian Saxon (Avis Carvenience), Tim Scurlock (Vauxhall Motors), Graham Simpkins (Milton Keynes), Adrian Sinclair (Co-Drive Leeds), Steve Stradling (Department of Psychology & Sociology at Napier University), Linda Strudwick (Co-Drive Ltd Leeds), Jo Taylor (EcoRegional Development Group - BedZED), Bob Tebb (FirstBus), Brian Torrence (Edinburgh City Council), Jeff Turner (Manchester), Nick Tyler (University College London), Geoff Warren (LB Ealing), David Whitely (Leicester City Council), un-named residents of new highdensity flats in Leeds, and staff and customers of three estate agencies specialising in city centre properties in Leeds and in London.