Person to person car-sharing Print
Posted by Springwise   
Thursday, 04 February 2010

I'm sure everyon will agree that there are way to many cars in Durban.  Is this a possible solution?

RelayRides bills itself as the first person-to-person car-sharing marketplace. Launching soon in the Baltimore area, the site allows people with cars to earn money by renting them out to people who don't have cars of their own. Car owners begin by registering with RelayRides, which then arranges for a certified mechanic to install a device in the car that will allow authorized renters to access it without having to be given keys. It also establishes an insurance policy to cover renters during the rental period. Next, owners set the car’s rental price, along with where the car will be rented and when it is usually available. Renters can then reserve the vehicle by the hour or day within the owner-set schedule. RelayRides screens the driving record of every renter; it also promises to take care of owners in the event of any loss. A renter rating system, meanwhile, lets owners provide their own evaluations. With suggested hourly rates of between USD 6 and USD 12—covering 20 miles per reserved hour or 160 miles per day along with gas and insurance—owners can earn as much as USD 8,000 per year by renting out their cars for just 20 hours a week, RelayRides says.

Every shared car replaces 14 to 18 vehicles on the road, RelayRides says, so the benefits are obvious not just for renters and owners, but also for the planet, which gets a much-needed break.

Website: www.relayrides.com
Hits: 97
Comments (2)Add Comment
Gareth
February 06, 2010
196.210.219.160
Votes: +0
...

I'm not sure how allowing someone to use a currently unused car is going to reduce the number of cars on the road, rather it will increase it.

The only way to significantly reduce the number of cars on the road is to have an efficient and reliable public transport system. I'm afraid eThekwini hasn't covered itself in glory in this regard. Perhaps, being closer to the municipality than Joe Public, the Imagine Durban team is aware of any real plans to improve the situation.

However since all we get from our Mayor and City Manager are denials that there is even a problem (or simply ignoring it) I suspect very little is being done.

And all this at a time when the World's attention is on South Africa and Durban. One would have thought that would be enough to spur them into action. Just imagine what will happen after the World Cup.

So Imagine Durban... what is REALLY happening with our public transport. How does this fit into the bigger strategic planning?

Regards
Gareth

Patrick
February 08, 2010
146.230.128.30
Votes: +0
...

I guess if you are sharing a little used car then you don't have to buy one for yourself.

But agreed, it would be nice to have a safe, reliable public transport network in the city.

Write comment
 
  smaller | bigger
 

busy