Car sharing services could reduce traffic in Bucharest and Romania’s big cities by 25% provided that the local authorities include this type of services in integrated urban mobility strategies, following the model of other European cities, according to a study by Perceptum Concept.

A car used through a car sharing service compensates the ownership of four to eight private cars, reducing the need for parking space and maintenance expenses by up to 40%. Moreover, an active car sharing user will produce 290 kg of carbon dioxide less a year than a regular driver, due to more efficient use of his vehicle.

“A car is stationed, on average, 23 hours a day, which is 95% of the time. Car sharing services help increase the car use ratio by up to 45%, maximizing the efficiency of each car,” according to Raluca Ghilea, general manager of Perceptum Concept.

Car sharing services would also be a good solution for households that don’t own a car as only 35.5% of Romania’s population owns cars.

editor@romania-insider.com