Ever thought about getting rid of your second family car? Do you only occasionally need a car? With a car sharing scheme, you can have access to a vehicle when you need it without the ongoing expense of ownership.
How Does it Work?
The idea behind car sharing schemes is simple: some people have a car they don’t use all the time, while others only need a car every now and then. Car sharing schemes put these people in touch. It’s a bit like Airbnb, but for cars.
- There are two ways to be involved:
Register your car as available for hire.
Or register as a driver. - To hire a vehicle, simply enter your location on the site and then choose the nearest or most appropriate vehicle to suit your needs.
What are the Benefits?
- Owners earn money from a car that would otherwise be standing idle
- Drivers have the convenience of a car on demand, but without the expense of owning and maintaining a vehicle
- All the legal stuff is taken care of before you drive away; owners and drivers are
vetted and insurance is arranged as part of registering - The schemes are quick and simple to use once you’ve registered
- Feedback by both parties ensures standards of vehicle safety and cleanliness are maintained
Points to Consider
- These schemes use apps to operate them, including for actually unlocking the cars; if you have a smartphone there shouldn’t be any problems, but there might be if you live in an area with poor coverage
- Not all the schemes cover rural areas, though many do; coverage varies between companies and some operate beyond the UK
- Costs vary: bigger cars cost more to borrow
- There is no guarantee that the car you want will be available
How Do I Start?
- Go online and search for ‘car sharing’: you might like to start with
Drivy
hiyacar
Zipcar - Register on the website, download the app and off you go!
Car Clubs
An alternative to this so-called peer-to-peer arrangement between individuals is to join a car club, in which vehicles can be booked from companies in a similar way to conventional car hire schemes
Spotted:
Car club users’ allocated parking space in city centre
