Making Car Sharing and Car Clubs Work - Case ... - The Civil Service

MAKING CAR SHARING AND CAR CLUBS WORKCASE STUDY SUMMARIES5.33 “This was all new to me; in the back of my mind, it is about the environment; but that is not aprimary reason. If you have a like-minded person, then your companion is a good reason.My carshare partner and I have the same job, we can chew over work and important gossip.It is valuable down time in a nice relaxed atmosphere. Need a tiny thing to make the move –to convert the sale – fill this in, will give you a pair of furry dice, personal touch was critical.After that need the carrot or stick: at Heathrow it has to be the former, privileged car sharebays, and get you home scheme and a few other goodies in the pack.”5.34 Usually, he books his car share via a mobile phone text message “in the 0700 – 0800window” in the mornings.5.35 Mr. B was aged 35-44, and currently shares with one other person (not a family member) 5times per week. They each drive, on alternate days. For 18 months, there were three ofthem sharing, but one person has just left their job. He also spends one or two days workingfrom home. For him, the other sharer living close to his own home was important. Now thecar share is established, they make arrangements about it between themselves. Until AirportCarshare was launched, he did not car share, travelling in by car on his own. He learnt aboutit over the internet. Mr. B lives in Portsmouth, so the financial benefits of such long distancecommuting are self-evident, and he has noticed reduced wear and tear on his own car. Nomoney changes hands. He has not used any of the other incentives on offer yet, but likesthe ‘insurance’ they offer.5.36 Car sharing has improved his working life: “It makes me plan things better. People I workwith are aware of the hours I work and of my travel arrangements. It gives me a rest, allowsme to do some reading and make telephone calls.” In terms of problems encountered, thereare two key ones:He has problems with his own line manager about the need for him to leave at a certaintime in order no to let his car share partner down. “If the company (BAA) is reallyserious (about car sharing), then middle managers need telling.” He has a friend whoworks for British Airways, a training manager, whose senior manager complains abouther time-keeping. “It is kind of frowned upon.”The parking bays need to be policed more stringently, as they can be parked in by thenight shift, who arrive “at the crack of dawn”.5.37 He wondered whether the incentives should be more obvious and meaningful. For example,‘If you car share so many days per year, then you can have an extra day’s leave’, or aChristmas Voucher to say ‘thank you’. If congestion charging was to be introduced atHeathrow, he would have to reconsider whether to carry on working there: “Charging isobscene; I wouldn’t pay”. There would need to be a concession for car sharers.5.38 He does not tend to car share for other journey purposes. At home, Portsmouth has got afantastic bus service, which he tends to use outside work journeys. He feels the train is tooexpensive.5.39 Ms. C is aged 25-34, and she car shares with two other people 2-4 times per week, andneither of the partners are family members. Working hours, personality, flexibility, and drivingstyle were the key criteria when looking for car share partners. They share the drivingFinal V1.1, Dec. 2004 - 36 -