[sustran] Carsharing for third world cities? Your reactions invited

[ecoplan.adsl at wanadoo.fr]

There are days in which you learn more than in other days.  For example,
yesterday. As almost everyone on both of these lists knows, I am a firm
believer in carsharing as a strategic motor into more sustainable and
more socially just transport.  And as we all know, the action until now
has been mainly in Europe, with North America advancing quite handsomely
over the last several years.

 

Another aspect of my long term interest is the much needed push to more
sustainable transportation in the developing countries, and in
particular new ways of breaking the old patterns and adaptations from
the advanced industrial economies who have for the most part done such a
fine job in disjoining their own cities and life quality. And while
carsharing has not yet made any notable headway there, I have
aggressively pushed it in my own international consulting and advisory
work. 

 

 

And while I still am a believer (I think), today was the day that an old
friend and colleague walked through the virtual door and has given me
something to think on the subject that I would like to share with you
all and ask your comments and counsel in turn.  Lee Schipper, Director
of Research, EMBARQ, the WRI Center for Transport and Environment wrote
me in quick success today the following three notes on this topic>

 

1.	"Funny I have thought a lot about car sharing but I am worried
it moves people too fast into cars by giving them a cheaper buy-in."
(And then when I answered that I had to do some serious cogitating on
this, he quickly responded . . . )
2.	"Well, if you go into rich countries and woo people who normally
would have almost instinctively owned cars, yes, there must be a
results. I suspect that Zip and the others in the yuppie parts of
Washington DC do that. But car sharing where there are no cars yet can
serve as car boosters, likewise among  groups (like students in  Europe)
who don't yet have cars. My fear is that by creating a mobile class even
if they don't OWN cars they can move into a car-friendly
long-distances/low density world earlier than otherwise 
3.	"Also drivers licensees are expensive. By making the car cheap
on a part time bases the user has to make the investment in a licenses.
After that, who wants to only drive a few hours a week? Anyway some
thoughts!"

 

Which is where things stand for me this morning in Paris. May I invite
your comments on this.  For myself, I have to turn off the lights and do
a bit of hard thinking first.  Hmm.  Lee. Hmmm.

 

Eric Britton

 

 

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Email: Eric.Britton at ecoplan.org or ecoplan.adsl at wanadoo.fr 

 

 

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