[sustran] Re: "many people misunderstand car sharing and car-pooling.It is not the time."

[Lee Schipper]

Very interesting. how many of them drove again on June 6?

>>> zhusongli at eri.org.cn 07/06/06 10:06 PM >>>
In big cities in China, like Beijing, Shanghai,  parents send their children to driving schools as soon as they are 18 year old. Driving becomes a basic skill in urban life.  Now summer holiday is coming,  driving schools  are crowded with young people who just finished their examination. I know that because I am there for my license.  Driving schools are profitable nowadays as teenagers go there periodically and older people who had no chance to learn for license when they were young rush there also.

I say it is not the time since most car owners are not aware of the negative impact they have brought to environment and society.  Policies should be  responsible for the phenomenon. No fuel tax and TDM, people always drive as much as they can only if they can afford to car purchasing and oil price.  and public transport has not developed well.

I am happy as things change a little.  On June 5, the Environment Day, it is reported that 200,000 drivers in Beijing gave up driving.  

Zhu Songli
Beijing

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lee Schipper" <schipper at wri.org>
To: <Sustran-discuss at jca.apc.org>
Sent: Thursday, July 06, 2006 7:28 PM
Subject: (ÈðÐÇÌáʾ-´ËÓʼþ¿ÉÄÜÊÇÀ*»øÓʼþ)[sustran] Re: "many people misunderstand car sharing and car-pooling.It is not the time."


> Not sure I agree about car sharing..in most developing countries getting
> a driver license is a big hurdle, and car sharing requires that..once cs
> has stimulated more folks to get licenses and then to taste car
> ownership, I think it iwll stimulate them to become car owners. 
> There are also basic issues of liabiltiy,theft etc... Not sure how
> these play out.. but I fear car sharing will accelerate car
> ownership/use..
> 
>>>> "Eric Britton" <eric.britton at ecoplan.org> 07/06/06 2:44 AM >>>
> Dear Zhu,
> 
> 
> 
> There are situations in which "not the time" is the best time.
> 
> 
> 
> My small (and most respectful) way of saying that since carsharing has
> or
> can have a certain, call it, Yuppie image, it strikes me that it just
> might
> be marketable in . . . 
> 
> 
> 
> BTW, carsharing does not save the world or even cities. But it can be
> one of
> a very large number of percent solutions, which when you put the all
> together you just might have a far more sustainable transport systems.
> 
> 
> 
> Requires thought (including driving out a lot of old thoughts from our
> busy
> minds that are probably the most important challenge) and then good old
> hard
> work.
> 
> 
> 
> Bottom line: Carsharing could work in China, but needs a hero.
> 
> 
> 
> Eric Britton
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 


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SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries (the 'Global South'). Because of the history of the list, the main focus is on urban transport policy in Asia.