Families, friends and neighbours across Leeds are being invited to join forces and take part in a three-week experiment exploring different ways to access cars without needing to own them.
The "Car When We Need It" experiment is part of a multimillion-pound research project led by the University of Leeds to encourage people in the city to design and try alternatives to private vehicle ownership.
The project aims to explore whether having easy access to a car, only when it is needed, could work for and benefit local communities across the city.
We want people to try out some options which mean they can have the convenience of a car without the hassle of ownership.
Participants would be able to choose between two options, which they would try out for three consecutive weeks in November this year with researchers aiming to recruit between 30 and 50 households.
One option would be for a group of two or more households to get together, with one of the households providing their car for loan on an app platform. That car would then be available to others in the same group.
A second option would see households signing up for access to a specific hire car available for use between one to three days a week, with the days being agreed in advance.
In both cases participants would be asked to take a break from using their own car during the course of the experiment and would receive thank you payments. Interested groups can find out more by visiting the INFUZE (Inspiring Futures for Zero Carbon Mobility) website.
Greg Marsden, Professor of Transport Governance at the University of Leeds Institute for Transport Studies, is leading the project. He said: "If you've ever wondered what a world where people did not need to own their own cars might look like, we would love you to get involved.
"People have told us they are really worried about the number of cars on the streets around them, but that they also value the flexibility of the car for some journeys. We want people to try out some options which mean they can have the convenience of a car without the hassle of ownership.
"If these ideas work then we really could give space back to communities for play or green space. We are looking for people who are willing to have a go and tell us how it goes and what else might make it better."
The researchers will use data collected from the experiment to understood what the householders did and how they would want to improve the services they tried, for instance by changing how it was organised, or by adding extra options such as e-bikes or taxi services.
The "Car When We Need It" experiment is part of the groundbreaking INFUZE study (Inspiring Futures for Zero Carbon Mobility) which is asking communities across Leeds to help design bespoke alternative transport systems which could include car clubs, responsive taxi-style bus services and shared bicycle and e-scooter schemes.
The £7.8m plan is being led by the Institute for Transport Studies (ITS) at the University of Leeds, along with research partners The Royal College of Art and Lancaster University and is being funded by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council.
It will eventually involve up to 400 households across the city and could lead to the creation of a national centre of excellence in low carbon alternatives to car ownership.
