Qualitative Insights into the Effect on Travel Behavior of Joining a Carshare

Abstract

Carsharing organizations (carshares) provide collectively available vehicles that can be booked for exclusive use on a pay-as-you-go basis. Previous research has shown that two groups join carshares: (a) accessors, who do not have a car when they join the carshare and therefore gain access to one, and (b) shedders, who give up a car when they join the carshare. The paper examines the circumstances and motivations that cause accessors and shedders to join a carshare, the changes in their travel behavior in the short and longer run, and how the travel behavior might have changed if the carshare had not been joined. These objectives were achieved through in-depth interviews with 16 members of a carshare in Bath, United Kingdom. The interviewed members were selected to achieve a mix of accessors, shedders, recent members, and longstanding members. It was found that carshare attracted people who were already contemplating giving up their cars or who had been triggered by life events to consider giving up their cars. Joining a car-share prevented the acquisition of cars for some members, but some subsequently took opportunities to acquire a car as their circumstances changed. Once shedders became members, they adapted to managing without a personal car, used a variety of transport modes, planned their activity–travel schedules in advance, and took into account the costs and convenience of different options. The increasing popularity of new mobility options, such as carsharing, also has implications for the methods used to analyze and model travel behavior. The option of joining a carshare and using carshare vehicles should be included in transport models for areas in which carshares operate.