As a sort of innercity dweller most of my transport needs are serviced by public transport or riding my scooter. Only for long drives on the weekends or rainy days do I need to consider cocoon transport such as a car. If I was stuck solely with the scooter I would be a little concerned but as I share a vehicle with Pauline for those cocoon moments I’m ok. But what of those people who want to consider a scooter as their primary transport method but don’t have the luxury of living in a two person household with a car?
Recently I was watching Life in the Fast Lane with Steve Natt on Foxtel and saw a little story on car sharing. In Montreal there is a company called Communauto which basically allows city dwellers to live without a car but have access to one when they need it. From what I can tell it looks like the cost is a $500 one off fee, and a yearly fee that ranges from $35 to $350 depending on how much you want to use the car. After that it’s just 15 – 28 cents per 100kms. You pay for how much you use at the end of the month. Petrol, insurance, maintenance is all included so there are no extra fees. Apparently the cars are located all over the city so you just have to book one and then walk over to where it’s located.
I think this is a brilliant idea and a great way to save money and the environment. It does take away the ownership and status symbol identity away from you though which could be an issue for some people. Think about how much you would save each year if you were only paying 15 cents per 100km. I can’t see this working in Brisbane as the population is too small, but there is currently a couple of companies in Sydney such as GoGet operating.
Of course, nothing could get me off the scooter at this point, even if it is a brilliant idea.
oh dear, another plug for your scooter 😉
Hey Amyo, thanks for the plug from a fellow geek!
Im also a fellow 2 wheeler and net nerd.
Nic Lowe, Co founder of GOGET