Though the idea may seem outlandish at first sight, it is based on the proposition that many cars lie idle for as much as 23 hours a day. Enthusiasts maintain car-sharing could help clear kerbsides from the clutter of stationary cars as well as reducing overall traffic levels. The Swiss, who first pioneered the idea in 1987, now have one nationwide organisation, Mobility, which has 25,000 members and a fleet of 1,200 cars, all co-operatively owned. It really took off really a few years ago after a deal was done with SBB, the Swiss railways, offering combined rail passes to Mobility's members. There are thousands of car-sharers in the Netherlands, where links with public transport are also strong.
Reciprocal arrangements mean they can also avail of car-sharing schemes in other cities.
The idea is even catching on in Britain, with Edinburgh's new council-backed City Car Club launched last March. We're beavering away behind the scenes and I would be confident that the picture will look a lot brighter in 12 months. At present, there is no car-sharing scheme in Ireland. Mr Graham Lightfoot, a Co Clarebased international transport consultant, started a scheme called the Co-Op Car Club in Dublin in 1997. Its 20 members paid a joining-up fee of 50, plus a 250 deposit and a monthly fee of 10.