Another car-sharing service is being proposed for Victoria, and if it becomes reality, it would mean more options for people needing to get around. The new service would be offered by Car2go, which already is in operation in Vancouver, Seattle, Calgary and Toronto. The little white Smart cars are easy to spot in those cities, especially in the downtown cores where parking can be tough to find; they have dedicated stalls.
That is also being proposed for Victoria. The company would pay a flat fee to the city for the use of the metered stalls.
Consumers would be able to pick up a car at one stall and return it to any Car2go stall, not necessarily the one where they found the vehicle. The existing car share in Victoria, the Victoria Car Share Co-operative, requires vehicles to be returned to the same spot where they were picked up.
The Car2go model will require a change in the streets and traffic bylaw to permit the free-floating concept as well as the $2,000-a-year lump sum for parking. As a non-profit, the Victoria Car Share Co-operative does not have to pay for the time its cars spend at metered stalls.
The car-sharing concept makes perfect sense in a city such as Victoria, with a relatively compact downtown area and an increasing number of small living quarters with no provision for vehicle parking.
The people in many downtown condos are discouraged from owning their own cars, yet they still need to use a vehicle from time to time. Car sharing would enable more people to get behind the wheel; in some cases, a shared vehicle might be as close as they ever get to owning a car.
The potential financial benefits should not be ignored. Owning a vehicle means many costs, including variable ones such as gasoline and maintenance, and fixed ones such as insurance and parking. The car shares put the benefits of vehicle ownership into more hands, while reducing the negatives.
When cars are shared, we don鈥檛 need to have as many parking spaces, which means developers and municipalities can put their resources to other uses.
The drivers who are committed to sharing can supplement their vehicle use by walking or cycling. That brings health benefits.
Car sharing can even make sense for people who already own vehicles. If their car has broken down, for example, a car share might be feasible. If two people in own household own just one vehicle, a car share can reduce the potential for marital discord. Family coming from out of town? A car share might eliminate the need to serve as an unpaid driver.
Car sharing is not for everyone. Many people face long daily commutes, and it would not be viable to seek out a shared vehicle on a daily basis. Some need more space, or would need to leave the vehicle parked for long periods away from the handy shared parking spaces. Some need to leave tools in their vehicles, or have work clothes so filthy that it鈥檚 simply better that they don鈥檛 share.
But don鈥檛 let the 鈥渋t鈥檚 not for me鈥� atittude take away from the true value to be gained by car sharing. Cycling to work is not for everyone, and using public transit not always workable, but we have come to accept both methods as legitimate ways to get around.
Car sharing will, one day, get the recognition it deserves. The average vehicle spends much of the day parked in this spot or that one; making better use of the asset is the efficient way to go.
