Car-Sharing
Car-sharing
On Monday we visited a car-sharing startup in Amersfoort. They are called Buurauto, which translates to neighbor car. Although there are many car-sharing services already, theirs is exceptional. They thought of bundling a group of friends together to share a car instead of letting anyone use it. This way they can be sure that if they leave anything in the car, no one will steal it. Also, all their cars are electric, which makes them environmentally-friendly. If you have solar panels on the roof, they can be used to charge the car with renewable energy. Contrary to what most people think, the energy transfer may work both ways. People can use the battery of their car to power the house appliances during peak hours in order to save money (the price of electricity from the grid is higher during that time). Another aspect of Buurauto is the social aspect. There are many elderly people, for whom it's a trouble to travel to the doctor by bike or by public transport and they don't own a car. The solution is using volunteers who would drive them where they need to go. As for the pricing, it is a group leasing contract with monthly installments combined with direct payments for each ride, so that the people who drive the most, pay the most. The car can be booked as long as three weeks in advance to satisfy even the most organized people who want to plan their rides earlier. The main advantage of the car-sharing is that it greatly limits the number of cars on the roads and on parking spaces alike. Not only does it decrease the traffic and pollution but also allows the children to play in the street again.
Carpool lanes
Carpool lane is a concept widely implemented in the US but still lagging behind in Europe. It involves a special lane on a highway, where only cars with a minimum of 2 people inside (including the driver) can drive. This solution promotes riding one car with other people. It decreases the number of cars on the highway and by extension pollution and traffic.
What can you do?
Consider car-sharing as an option. Take part in pilot car-sharing projects.
What can your city do?
Support, and subsidize upcoming car-sharing companies. Encourage citizens to use such services.
What can your country do?
Introduce carpool lanes on national highways.