Car sharing is a form of short-term car rental whereby a driver can hire a car for as little as an hour. It appeals mainly to people who only need a vehicle occasionally for quick tasks. Car sharing has boomed in popularity in the last decade, with over 1000 cities in the world currently home to car sharing schemes and it’s no wonder. Car sharing schemes offer a ton of benefits, including money saving, environmental and ease of use advantages.

If you want to join a car-sharing scheme, it usually requires a small monthly membership fee. Some companies may require a security deposit. The vehicles for rent are usually kept in designated parking spaces within easy access to businesses and homes and members simply book over the phone or online and then access the vehicle with their membership smartcard. The schemes are self-service and not limited by office hours.

Car sharing schemes allow members to book a car for as little as an hour whereas conventional car-hire companies only rent cars on a 24-hour basis - as such, this is the fundamental attraction of the programs for many drivers.

A short term rental car, hired only for an hour or two, gives consumers the freedom to use more environmentally friendly modes of transport such as walking, cycling and public transport more often, however they obviously still have the option for a share car for tasks where hiring other transport is too difficult. This means they only use a car when necessary.

By allowing people to leave their cars at home, or not own one at all, car-sharing schemes reduce traffic density, free up more road and parking space and reduce air, water and noise pollution.

Because of this, car sharing works well in cities, where public transport options are readily available and parking spaces can be expensive and hard to come by.

Many drivers have found that car-sharing schemes mean they don’t need to own a car at all and in-turn save themselves the heavy costs associated with car ownership. Expenses such as petrol, insurance, registration, regular maintenance and capital depreciation are all covered by the membership and hire fees and organized by the car share company. Even repairs such as windscreen replacement or new tires are taken care of.

There are currently several car-sharing programs in major Australian cities, including Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane, all offering a convenient, practical, environmentally friendly and low cost alternative to car ownership and usage.

Calien McToldridge writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.