Car share

Watch this quick graphic video, created by the City of Port Phillip Council in Victoria, for a quick (1 minute) summary of the concept of car sharing.

Thanks to the City of Port Phillip for sharing this video.

Byron Bay

• 1 x Shirley Street, Byron Bay (between Kendall and Dryden Streets)
• 4 x Lawson Street South Carpark (Byron Bay town centre)
• 2 x Marvell Street, Byron Bay (outside Feros added care facility) 
• 1 x Browning Street, Byron Bay 

Mullumbimby

2 x Station Street (Council offices carpark) 

Key benefits of Car Sharing:

• Access: Cars can be hired for hours or day/s, on demand, as needed.  This makes car sharing a great option for people who need a car (or a second or third car) on occasions, just a few times a week or sporadically.
• Affordability: Provides an alternative and potentially more affordable vehicle option for residents.
• Reduced environmental footprint:  For every car-share vehicle used, 10 vehicles are taken off the road and so car sharing could help Council in its aim to reduce emissions.
• Reduced traffic on the road: Good for the environment, produces less congested town centres and is better for the long-term health and wellbeing of residents.
• Alignment with autonomous future of driving and on-demand services that are growing around the world, while car production is slowing.  

Traditional car sharing is defined as an arrangement in which a number of vehicles, collectively owned by an organisation, are made available to the organisation’s members via a membership system and small rental usage fees.  It is a model of 24/7 car rental where different people are able to use the same car, but at different times using increasingly sophisticated booking systems and real-time technology platforms.  

Reserving a car is usually done via an app, online or over the phone. Once logged in, users can see the locations of all available car sharing vehicles available. Access to the cars is keyless. Users normally use their smartphones or are given an access code.  Inside the car, you will find the key and you’ll be ready to go.  This means users can collect and return the car without having to visit a rental office. 

The concept of car sharing is attractive to various types of customers such as those who cannot afford to buy and maintain a car (or just view cars as a poor investment), people who want to reduce their car use and carbon footprint, people who only need occasional access to a vehicle, workers making use of a car pool and others who would like occasional access to a vehicle of a different type than they use day-to-day (such as a utility or a van).