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Joint press release with CarSharing – bcs (federal association)
A collection of cases in practice, sponsored by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) and published by the federal association CarSharing (bcs), illustrates how commercial businesses in particular can do their bit for the environment by taking advantage of carsharing.
UBA Vice President Dr. Thomas Holzmann says, “A large number of businesses as well as public institutions have recognised that in addition to economic and social considerations, environmental goals are also key to their long-term success. One area in which not only the private individual but commercial businesses as well can do something for the environment, and save costs, too, is to take advantage of carsharing. Moreover, carsharing is an inexpensive alternative to maintaining a company fleet or using private vehicles. This is all the more so when a destination is difficult to access by public means of transport.”
Organised sharing of cars is gaining popularity in Germany. 158,000 drivers are currently registered with some 110 carsharing agencies in Germany, with a combined access to 4,600 carsharing vehicles. About 25 percent of all users of carsharing are commercial customers.
Managing Director Willi Loose of Bundesverband CarSharing commented on the brochure, “Nine detailed examples illustrate the motives behind businesses‘, municipal governments‘, federal authorities‘, and organisations’ and associations‘ choice to operate their business travel with carsharing vehicles. It can save costs since no owned vehicle that would otherwise be underused is on hand. In other cases, peak times of need can be covered that would be considerably more expensive to accommodate with a company fleet. Alternately, extraordinary travel can also be managed, for example for haulage of heavy loads or bulky materials in vans or mini-buses provided by the local carsharing agency.” Furthermore, carsharing is a space-saving alternative to private or commercial vehicle use in densely populated agglomerations.
The brochure can be downloaded free of charge (in German) from the Bundesverband CarSharing website at: http://www.carsharing.de/images/stories/pdf_dateien/broschre_business-carsharing_endversion_mailfhig.pdf. A printed copy may also be ordered from the bcs office.
Contact and ordering information: bcs-Geschäftsstelle, Hausmannstraße 9 – 10, 30159 Hannover, tel.: 0511-7100474, email: info@carsharing.de
The German Transport Club (Verkehrsclub Deutschland e.V.), sponsored by the Federal Environment Agency and the Federal Ministry for Environment, has also published a guide to efficient vehicle fleet management (in German, Effizienter Fuhrpark - kostengünstig, umweltschonend, zukunftssicher), available at http://www.umweltbundesamt.de/uba-info-medien-e/mysql_medien.php?anfrage=Kennummer&Suchwort=3927.
Dessau-Roßlau, 31 May 2010
