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

MAKING CAR SHARING AND CAR CLUBS WORKCASE STUDY SUMMARIESmore staff (from 350 to about 470) onto the same site and car parking was already tight, theyhave set aside a car park for car sharers. The Commuter Centre travel information pack ishanded to new staff at their Induction session; a car share lunch and a breakfast wasorganised. About 100 staff registered on the car share database at the Commuter Centre,some of whom were car sharing before the scheme started. There is a Travel Board situatedbetween the shop floor and the canteen, with travel information from the Commuter Centreand TfL. Car sharers are guaranteed a space in a locked car park; currently the key is heldby security staff, but it is likely this will move to access via a magnetic swipe card (althoughthey are also considering giving out keys on deposit). There are 40 spaces in the car sharersarea, and the factory’s General Manager, Andy Readshaw, is looking forward to having theproblem of what to do when this is full. The company openly recognises the humanresources benefits of car sharing. Selena Dawkins felt that there was a lot of resistance tothe car sharing proposal initially, and that it has mainly been picked up by engineers andstaff who are similarly ‘well-established’ at the factory.9.23 Ms. A is a cost control manager, aged 25 – 34. She shares with another manager, whoworks similar hours to herself (0730 – 1630, no shift work). They share 2 – 4 times per week,and although they managed 5 days in a row once or twice, it is likely to remain at the lowerlevel. They have learnt that they need to plan their work carefully on car share days – if onlyto avoid one car share partner waiting until 1900, as happened on one occasion, whilst theother completed a task that just had to be finished that day.9.24 They live about 25 miles away, so she has noticed a cash saving, and that when her carshare partner is off (e.g. on holiday), the fuel bill goes back up. Her car share partner drivesto her house, and then they leave one car on her drive to avoid parking problems. This adds10 minutes each way to her car share partner’s journey. They take turns to drive their owncar, and so no money changes hands.9.25 She previously travelled by car, alone, and found out about the car sharing offer on thenotice board and on a poster. However, they do not use the special parking area, as it is toomuch bother getting the security guard to lock and unlock the gate. They do not use the carsharing service to book trips.9.26 Mr. B is an electrical engineer, aged 25 – 34. He shares 5 times per week with another workcolleague, who also happens to be a good friend with whom he socialises at evenings andon weekends. They take turns to drive, one week on and one week off, and so no moneychanges hands.9.27 He had already been thinking about car sharing before the firm started to promote it. Heknew that he drove past his colleague’s home every day. Nonetheless, he used to travel towork by car, alone, and was only prompted into finally switching to car sharing by the roadshow. He lives 10 miles away and has noticed that he is not filling up the fuel tank so often.9.28 Besides financial savings, the special secure parking is very important to him (and probablymore important than fuel savings), as he has an expensive car that he cherishes. He wouldprefer the firm to stick with the lock and the security guard holding the key. On occasion hecar shares on leisure journeys, especially to motor sport events.Final V1.1, Dec. 2004 - 61 -