Most of us are entirely reliant on our car for our job & daily activities. We also spend a fortune on them every year but this doesn’t put us off. We can’t seem to see the future benefits such as less congestion on the roads, less pollution and fewer accidents and often the alternatives are far less convenient which makes it harder to make the change.
Car sharing is taking off though in Sydney, Australia. Over 26,000 residents and businesses have joined a car share scheme, giving them access to 700 cars parked all over the city. The Netherlands has declared an ambition to have 16 million people sharing 10,000 cars in the next three years and sharing alternatives have found their way to New Zealand too. The car share system lets people book online and their membership card will unlock the car which has the keys inside.
“Car sharing helps kick the car-owning habit without going cold turkey,” says Carter, a former Auckland City councillor.
She says every car-share car takes 15-25 privately owned cars off the road. And without a car in the driveway, members increase their use of public transport, cycling and walking by around 50%, which has a positive effect on their health.
This system works great particularly for those who live in the inner city where finding parking is too painful to be worth using your own car.
Original Article & Photos:
http://why.z.co.nz/why/sustainability-kicking-the-car-habit/