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A better way to use cars

For residents of crowded cities, sharing a car to go to work or to an event is a cost-effective and faster alternative to driving one's own vehicle. Informal car-sharing has always been popular with the middle class but a more organised, a formal system of sharing vehicles, aided by Information Technology tools such as ride matching software and email, is taking shape. This is not surprising, given the unsustainable levels of peak hour vehicle use, particularly in big cities, and the rise in the price of fuel. Private car ownership in India grew almost seven-fold between 1981 and 2002 and liberal economic policies have only strengthened the trend in subsequent years. An attempt by the citizen sector to form a membership-based car-share service was made in Mumbai (which has some 370,000 cars) sometime ago, with support from banks and large corporate houses. A key confidence-building component of a car-sharing scheme is prior verification of members' credentials. Yet, although it may attain a critical mass, car-sharing cannot replace reliable, comfortable, safe, and affordable public transport. What it can do is improve the efficiency of unavoidable car use by distributing the cost of travel and easing congestion; there are additional benefits in the form of reduced travel time, fuel use, and pollution.

Commuters are indeed worried about the rising cost of vehicle-based mobility. A survey by ACNielsen has found that nearly 50 per cent of the respondents in India would opt to drive less and 36 per cent would combine trips to cope with higher fuel prices. Switching to public transport more often is cited as another option. Car-sharing can be added to this list of choices. International examples including those from car-dominated America point to significant benefits flowing from such initiatives where local governments and the corporate sector extend support. Some cities have tried to encourage sharing by allowing cars with high occupancy to use less-congested lanes. Individuals who want to share cars have been using the Internet to post messages on popular websites but it is for riders to satisfy themselves about the offers. Transparent community-led car pool services with official endorsement may yet be the best option.

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