Shared cars to boost sharing economy?

Bright prospects await the sector

Chen Yanyan, dean of the College of Metropolitan Transportation, Beijing University of Technology [Photo/China Daily]

If car-sharing companies operate on a park-and-ride (P+R) model to supplement public transport, they will not only make commuting easier but also ease the pressure on public transport vehicles and reduce traffic jams. Under the P+R model, facilities such as parking lots are built close to bus or subway stations, generally on the outskirts of cities.

Therefore, the authorities should encourage car-sharing services, and they can do so by granting car-sharing companies some tax deductions and/or offering them more subsidies.