Flexible transport changing ownership models

Car ownership is changing in London, driven by alternative services such as Uber.

A YouGov poll of 1,000 Londoners found that a third of those who have ditched their cars recently did so because of the convenience of using alternative transport options.

That number jumped to 42% among recent users of Uber, with 11% also saying they were less likely to own a car again themselves. Among those who have used Uber a third said they’d be less likely to own a car themselves in the future.

Uber UK manager Jo Bertram said, ‘These figures suggest apps like Uber are starting to have an impact on car ownership. Ditching your own car can be good for our city as well as your wallet. When people can get around and connect with public transport without needing their own car there’s less need for parking spaces.’

Uber launched its car sharing option UberPool a year ago in London offering a cheaper ride with someone else going in the same direction. More than two million journeys have been shared using the service as of the end of August, saving more than 1.3m miles being driven, 98,000 litres of petrol and 231 metric tonnes of CO2, it’s estimated.