 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Car clubs and car sharing blur the boundaries between
public and private transport. Alongside buses, trains, walking & cycling,
they provide an attractive and viable alternative to private car dependency.
Car clubs do this by making a car available for when people need one, for
instance for a big shopping trip or a journey for which there is no public
transport alternative. This means that households can reduce the number of
cars that they own. As a result, people make different choices about how to
travel, naturally shift journeys to alternative travel modes and mix modes to
make journeys.
But you’ll never
get people to leave their car behind
55% of car users say that they would like to reduce
their car use
Scottish Executive, Research Findings 202, 2005
But there’s no
choice – you need a car in modern life
56% of all car trips … have at least one
environmentally friendly mode alternative (public transport, bicycle, walking)
available
Darlington Borough Council / Socialdata /
Sustrans, 2005
This means that the problem is not normally a case of getting people to switch from using a car to a bus, but to encourage people to adjust the mix of modes that they currently use. This is why providing cars for when people need them (with a car club) produces such high rates of behaviour change - because people are shifting between modes with which they are already familiar rather than breaking the mould in asking people to try something completely new.
“Car [clubs] and public transport are partners. Integrated services can
thus compete with the privately owned car” (From Bremen/Cambio marketing literature)
The Bremer Karte PLUS is a full electronic ticket for public transport as well as the car club user’s smart card. This provides the customer with integrated ticketing, a single monthly bill for all travel and a platform for inter-mode deals and discounts. In providing this one-stop mobility package, it offers the customer a highly attractive alternative to private car use.
In addition,
In providing travel choices, car clubs work well when they are presented as a package of travel options. The aim is to encourage more people to use packages of options to suit their journey requirements rather than defaulting to the private car.
Physical
integration - amalgamating car club bays with public transport stops,
cycle racks and other mobility-related information such as
Integrated ticketing & charging – as outlined
elsewhere in this information sheet, the Bremer Karte PLUS is an
electronic ticket for public transport as well as the car club user’s
smart card. This provides the customer with integrated ticketing, a single
monthly bill for all travel and a platform for inter-mode deals and
discounts. Similarly, the London Oyster card can be used by members of
City Car Club to access the vehicles.
Example of an advert from car club operator WhizzGo, outlining its
partnership deals with Hertz & Metro in Leeds
Co-ordinated marketing and
awareness raising - such as public transport operator Metro teaming up
with car club operator WhizzGo to offer free advertising space on buses across
Travel planning is a package of measures to encourage the use of sustainable transport and reduce car use. Already routinely applied to workplaces, it is increasingly being used in residential developments, and is being developed for established neighbourhoods and for leisure facilities.
Personalised journey planning - tailored travel advice
for an individual or a household – has been shown to be an effective way of
promoting significant shifts in travel behaviour to using more sustainable
travel modes.
Car clubs and car sharing provide strong levers to promote a shift in behaviour. They acknowledge the role of the car in the mix of travel needs, and so people are more willing to consider shifting behaviour. Travel planning routinely results in shifts to public transport of c. 10% (up to 31%) in the workplace and 10-75% using personalised travel planning.
Where special High Occupancy Vehicle lanes (for cars with
one or more passengers) have been installed, bus times along the same route
have been shown to improve as a result of fewer cars on that stretch of road.
In addition, the following can also make an important contribution to making seamless mobility a reality:
are a major generator of travel, especially during peak times
have the ability to influence the travel behaviour of their employees via workplace travel plans
manage fleets of dedicated community transport vehicles which are used to transport retired people, people with disabilities, the socially excluded or those without access to other transport
can use car club vehicles as community transport vehicles, thus serving a dual purpose
lobby to make walking & cycling easier & more attractive
lobby to improve walking & cycling infrastructure such as specially dedicated cycle paths and lighted footpaths
as new residents move into property developments, demand for travel is created
a time when someone is changing aspects of their lifestyle e.g. moving home or job, is an ideal opportunity for changing travel behaviour and selecting more sustainable options. Property developers can encourage more sustainable choices by building them into new designs.
help to make transport schemes locally relevant by representing the local community on transport issues. The local community can itself be empowered to tailor transport provision to its needs
are networks for effective local communication and ‘bushfire’ marketing of ideas. In this way, the advantages and disadvantages of new transport measures can be communicated to the local community
Thinking about whole journeys rather than modes i.e. considering what would be the most suitable way of making a particular journey. For this to happen, viable and attractive alternatives to the private car need to be made available
Transport
user profiles. These show how different types of people mix their travel
choices and contain vital information for those wishing to market
different travel choices to target audiences.
Mobility Car Members of the
Mobility car club in
Public
Transport franchising A competitive franchise bid from a public transport operator with a proposed link with a car club is likely to increase the bid’s appeal to the Local Authority. Local Transport Authorities have the scope to influence and define franchise tenders that focus more on mobility management (encouraging behaviour change as an outcome) rather than solely on mode.
Although car clubs and car sharing are relatively new “modes”, they are mentioned in half of the 2006-2011 Local Transport plans, and are embedded into emerging travel planning guidance. This is extremely encouraging for these areas as Local Authorities are now obliged to carry out these schemes as detailed in their plans.
The car club sector is now led by commercial operators. SBB (Swiss national rail) led on the development of
Mobility car club. Car share schemes are now operated on an increasingly large
scale, often not just on a national scale (Liftshare.com in the
Making travel plans work, Department for Transport, 2002
Making residential travel plans work: good practice guidelines, Department for Transport, 2005
Making Car Clubs and Car Sharing Work: A Good Practice Guide, Department for Transport, 2004.
Smarter Choices: Changing the Way We Travel, Department for Transport, 2003.
“Mobilpunkt”:
Interchanges between car sharing, public transport and cycling,
 |
|||
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
top