Share A Car And Fight Congestion
Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday May 28, 2008
Along with the satisfaction of saving money, sharers are also doing their bit for the planet by keeping an extra car off the road, writes Thea O'Connor.
Weaning people off the need to own a car might seem ambitious, but car sharing is one way that a growing number are handing over their car keys and enjoying the financial, health and environmental benefits. "Car-sharing is a practical and creative concept that, together with increased use of public transport, walking and cycling, helps solve the problem of too many cars on the road," says Dr Chloe Mason, an associate at the Institute of Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology, Sydney. "Research shows that one car-sharing vehicle replaces up to 10 privately-owned cars on the road. This means reduced air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and increased fitness, since people who car-share are more physically active than car owners." Car sharing will become increasingly popular, says Mason, as rising fuel prices, parking problems and traffic congestion make owning a car less attractive. Options include services provided by car-sharing companies through to do-it-yourself arrangements. GoGet, Flexicar and Charter Drive provide members with easy access to a car without the hassle of owning one, or having to negotiate with others. No registration, maintenance or insurance fees - just a clean car that is filled up and ready to go and can be booked in minutes by phone or internet. Compared with owning a car, the costs are low, from about $4 to $10 per hour of travel, and monthly membership fees from $10 to $30. But such operations are only feasible in locations where there is high-density living, well serviced by public transport, according to Car Sharing, a report published by the Australian Greenhouse Office in 2004. That is why some people living outside densely populated areas are organising their own car share arrangements. When Trevor Windus's friend Will Cronan suggested they share the purchase and running of a car several years ago, Windus's first response was to wonder how it could work. "I'd attempted a car-share previously but it didn't work out," he says. "But the financial benefits were really appealing and I knew I could communicate well with Will so we sat down and talked about how to make it work." That was the beginning of a successful two-year car share, where the purchase, registration and insurance costs were split 50-50, while petrol, maintenance and minor repairs were calculated on a pro-rata basis. "We kept a log book where we entered the kilometres at the beginning and end of every trip, and worked out a percentage use. We used that ratio to split all costs at the end of every three months. I ended up using the car about a third of the time and Will two-thirds. If one of us had an accident, and was clearly at fault, then that person had to pay the excess." Living on a community on the Mid-North Coast where catching a lift with others was easy helped fill the mobility gap when there were timetable clashes. Good communication, similar driving skills and style, and an understanding of each other's needs also helped. "We both loved surfing, so I knew Will would understand if I needed to go surfing and take the car for a few days," Windus says. "The arrangement worked really well and made driving very cheap." It was concern for the environment, rather than saving money, that motivated two couples living in Bellingen - Jane Mosco and Mick Klipin, and Sacha Booms and Gull Herzberg - to share a second car. "After our second car broke down last year, we borrowed Gull and Sacha's second car to tide us over while looking for a replacement," Mosco says. During that time, Booms realised how little she and Herzberg used her 20-year-old Subaru, while Mosco realised she only needed a car three days a week to get to work. "It seemed silly to be looking for another car when we already had access to one, just around the corner," Mosco says. After meeting to discuss some possible car-sharing arrangements they came up with a written agreement. The car was kept in Booms's name to save the expense of changing it, and the costs of registration and maintenance were split according to percentage use. This meant Mick and Jane would foot about 90 per cent of the bills and Sacha and Gull the rest. Other aspects of the arrangement are quite loose, such as who fills up how much petrol. "We just do what we think is reasonable. We've known each other for 14 years so there's a lot of trust," Herzberg says. "We couldn't do it with just anyone." And cleaning? Well, they don't really do it, except to clear out all the kids' stuff before handing over. As for scheduling clashes, they've only had two so far. "We made it an exercise in exploring other options," Klipin says. "One time, I used the local car pool instead, and another time Jane changed her appointment." Both couples agree that it feels great to know they are putting one less car on the road. They have also enjoyed some other spin-offs. "I don't plan anything for Wednesdays now when Gull has the car," Mosco says. "Wednesdays have become my gardening and meditation day. I don't know if I'd have created that time otherwise."
© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald
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