Making it possible for the Scandinavian carsharing network to grow

BIL.COOP is a joint venture and an organisation initiated by non-profit carsharing organisations in Scandinavia. We have built an Internet booking portal, bought a modern booking system from Invers and are installing smartcard terminals enabling an easier and proofer way to handle cars in our carpools.

 

We are inviting carpool organisations and carpool owning companies in Scandinavia to join BIL.COOP and benefit from the technical, administrative and marketing advantages this give us. Please contact us via e-mail info@bil.coop

BIL is the Scandinavian word for CAR and origins from the word automoBILe. COOP is the new top level domain for COOPerative organisations - read more about this at NIC.COOP

 

Carsharing - An economic, environmental friendly, smart and safe alternative to private car ownership

Throughout the world there are more and more people looking for alternatives to buy, own and handle their own cars. Why? Because cars are very expensive, at least if you would like to drive a modern car. Think of the safety for your family! Cars also costs a lot (gas, taxes, repairs, parking fees, garage etc) and brings many problems to their owners (finding a parking spot, repairs, burglars etc).

The society and the cities also suffer from air pollution, noise pollution, traffic problems and a lot of space reserved for streets and parking areas (that could be of better use!). The sollution to these problems are a well functioning public transportation system, AND a more effective use of the cars. Start with looking at the car as a service, not as a product.

In general there are three ways of effective car use - all called carpools:

1. A cooperative organisation where people (and companies) are owning their cars together.
2. A company (car rental) owning cars, having people and companies as members.
3. Any company owning cars for their employees daily use, and where not one car is reserved for one employee.

Booking systems on the Internet and car key handle
There are many different booking systems for carpools. The common function is the Internet access, where you choose between available cars and reserve the day(s), start time and stop time for your drive. Some systems also have telephone access or mobile phone WAP access. After your reservation you go to the car and fetch the car key in a key tube at a nearby building (a burglar proof solution). After driving you write the times, dates and distance down in the driving journal in the car. Once a month people responsible for the economy collect the journals, puts the data in the economy program and sends out the bills.

Smartcards and car terminals
Instead of key tubes and manual car journals the carpools can install mobile terminals in their cars. After reserving your car you go to the car and open it by showing your smartcard in the window (an encrypted radio signal). Enter your code on the terminal to start the car. After driving you just push a button and the terminal will send the times, date and distance to the booking system by mobile phone GSM data. This eliminates much of the administrative work in the company or in the organisation.

Find out more at:
Carsharing.net - US & Europe
European Car Sharing - Europe
Mobility - Carsharing organisation in Switzerland with 44.000 members Between the private and the public - An exploratory study (Acrobat file, 96 pages)

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