Car Sharing as a Cure for Traffic Congestion in Mexico City Pro Mexico
go to original December 8, 2012

Carrot - Tu auto siempre disponible (Carrot.mx)

In places like Mexico City, where smog, congestion and high maintenance costs should be enough to deter us from buying a car, public transport has always been the next best thing... until someone dangled a carrot in front of us.

Carrot is a car-sharing service that began operating in mid-June 2012 in Mexico City with Nissan March automobiles and X-Trail SUVs. The premise is simple enough: it’s better to have several people using one car than each one of them driving individually. And the benefits couldn’t be more obvious: fewer cars on our roads reduces congestion and makes it easier to get from A to B, not to mention mitigating the environmental impact.

One shared car can replace up to 20 privately owned cars on our roads, making Carrot a sustainable alternative to owning an automobile. In fact, according to the consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, for every shared car there are 15 fewer cars on our roads and users drive 31% less than they would if they owned a car of their own.

Several studies conducted in Canada and the US corroborate that between 15% and 29% of users of car sharing or pooling services get rid of their own car, while 25% to 61% put off buying a new one.

This is the first car-sharing program of its kind in Mexico City, but Carrot isn’t alone in Latin America: similar initiatives include SigoCar in Costa Rica and Zazcar in Brazil. To rent a car, whether it’s for a few hours or the whole day, all prospective users have to do is register at Carrot’s webpage. Once their application has been approved, they must locate their nearest station and book a car at the same site or by telephone.

Aside from being a cheaper alternative to owning a car, Carrot is a decisive step toward reducing traffic congestion and CO2 emissions. The hope is that this sustainable transport system will catch on and be replicated in other Mexican cities.

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