Not exactly a great news for car makers but that is the eventuality that car makers need to come to terms with. Sustainable transport is not about making and selling personal use cars – it is about transporting people from point A to point B and car sharing and carpooling platforms fulfill that need quite comprehensively.Mobile, Social and Local: How Italians are redefining mobility
“Rising fuel prices, smart phone technology and increased environmental sensibility are all factors encouraging Italians to find smart mobility options,” says Markus Barnikel, CEO of carpooling.com.
According to Barnikel, support from local government and grass-roots organisations has been a key influencer fueling the growth of carpooling in Italy. Governmental organisations and mobility agencies in Parma, Piacenza and Bolzano are leading the way by encouraging carpooling in their local communities.
Carpooling.it (the company’s Italian platform) also recently announced a partnership with Corrente in Movimento (CIMO) – an Italian association that promotes the use of electric cars and supports the development of sustainable mobility. This year, from May-October, the organisation plans a green trip around Italy to encourage public discussion of smart cities, renewable energy and pollution. “We are really very happy to be a sponsor of CIMO.
Corrente in Movimento is a great initiative to help inform people about the advantages of sustainable mobility and to show them how they can travel greener and cheaper” says Daniela Mililli, Product Manager of carpooling.it.
With more than 1 billion cars in the world, traffic congestion is becoming an increasingly problematic issue – causing significant fuel wastage, increased pollution and costing billions to the world economy. Countries like Italy show us that economic challenges can be a great opportunity to start finding smarter, cheaper and greener solutions.
But on the flip side, when I look at India and the explosion of personal use cars happening all across, the car makers have found the burgeoning demand in the developing countries to keep their business growth going – the costs and problems haven’t yet disappeared, they have just moved around to someplace else!
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- Carpooling Takes Off (earthgarage.com)
- Why is carpooling good for the environment? (greenanswers.com)
- Urban Mobility is fast becoming Social, Mobile and Peer-to-Peer (linkingsustainability.com)
- Making Sustainable Urban Mobility a reality (linkingsustainability.com)
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