A car sharing scheme allows members to share the use of the cars owned by the club. The cars are parked near the homes of the members. Several member can share the use of a few cars parked in the neighbourhood.
The member pays for the cars at an hourly rate. The cars are booked in advance, on a first come first served basis. If a member is interested in the use of the car, it is better to book early, to gain priority.
The member has to return the car back to the original parking space. This allows the next member to take over the use of the car. The charge is based on the time used and the distance travelled, i.e. for the consumption of fuel.
If the fuel tank reaches the replenishment level, the member using the car has to top up the petrol. The cost of the petrol is charged to the club. Members have to observe the rules and play their part, so that the scheme works best for everyone.
The cost of using a shared car is about 10% to 25% of the cost of ownng a private car , depending on the usage. On average, the use of a car can be shared among 4 to 10 members and the cost is spread accordingly.
The first car sharing scheme in Singapore started about 15 years ago. It operated as a cooperative. Later, a few companies operate a similar scheme, quite successfully.
To reduce the congestion on the roads and in the car parks in Singapore, it is time to actively promote the use of car sharing.
Tan Kin Lian
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Singaporeans don't even share other things less minor, let alone the car.
ReplyDeleteParka is right. Singaporeans tend to be unwilling to share.
ReplyDeleteNTUC Income operated a car sharing serice for the past 15 years. There are 4,000 members, majority are Singaporeans. So, there are sufficint Singaporeans willing to join such a scheme. If there is active promotion, more will join.
But my friend said that in recent months, there are more foreigners joining the car sharing scheme. They find it to be more convenient and economical. Maybe Singaporeans worry too much about "face" and must own a car, regardless of cost.
Or maybe, like Parka said, they are unwilling to share.
Many years ago during a public holiday, I and my girlfriend (now my wife) tried to book a ticket to Malaysia/Batam, no ticket was available. So, we hardly go out of Singapore during public holidays.
ReplyDeleteFew years later we married and have a baby. One day, my baby developed high fever. I tried to hail a cab to send him to the nearest clinic which is 3 km away. I waited for almost 30 minutes but without success, I had to walk 20 minutes under the noon sun to the main road to get a cab.
So, in my opinion, a car is a necessity and not a luxury item to show off.
Reply to 9:29 AM
ReplyDeleteIf you book for a taxi, it will arriave at your home. For an emergency, such as bringing a sick child to the doctor, call a taxi and pay the booking charge. It happens maybe once a year.
If you use a car often, it is okay to buy a car. But do not buy a car just for the occasional use.
But the baby was unsafe in the ride in the taxi, as I'm assuming it wasn't in a car seat.
ReplyDelete