Car sharing

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Car sharing is popular in cities around the world because it is cost-effective for members and it benefits our environment. Sharing cars reduces demand for new cars and encourages more sustainable travel patterns, as members use public transport and walk and cycle more than people who don't share a car.

The City of Sydney supports and encourages car sharing because it helps reduce congestion and eases parking pressure. A single car share vehicle can replace up to 13 private vehicles that would otherwise compete for local parking spaces!

More than 10,000 residents and business owners have joined one of the 3 car share schemes that operate in Sydney. Joining allows residents to use a car whenever they need one, without paying the ongoing expenses associated with owning a vehicle.

More than 400 cars are available for use via the car sharing schemes. Members can book a car online or over the telephone and pick it up from a nearby car park or designated parking space and return it to the same place. A smart card is used instead of car keys.

Car share users are charged by time and distance, at a rate set by each operator. Costs associated with fuel, vehicle maintenance and insurance are usually included in the operator's hire fees. Hourly costs usually range between $6 to $13, plus costs per kilometre.

Car sharing locations

The City has created more than 400 reserved parking spaces for car share vehicles so there's never any problem searching for a parking space!

To help you find your closest parking space, we have created 5 precinct maps for the local area. Each map comes with a table that lists the parking spaces in that precinct.

The precincts mapped are:

• City east

• Surry Hills

• Glebe and Forest Lodge

• Camperdown and Newtown

• City centre

Car sharing and the City

We began our car sharing trial in 2007 when 3 car share operators responded to an open Expression of Interest. More recently, we commissioned an independent economic appraisal of car sharing in the City of Sydney.

The SGS Economics and Planning study found that car sharing, which has more than tripled in the local area over the past 3 years has led to an easing of parking congestion and savings to residents of $21 million a year, including $18.5 million in deferred car purchases by residents and business.

The study found other benefits include:

reduced travel times and traffic congestion
reduced parking times
personal health improvements from more walking
reduced greenhouse gas emissions due to less cars on the road
more efficient vehicle usage.

To make sure the public interest is upheld, we impose strict quality and reporting requirements on the car share companies involved:

Membership must be available to alll local residents and businesses.
Vehicles must be fuel efficient and in the lowest emissions category for their type.
24-hour booking systems must be available.
Monthly data must be collected on the use of individual spaces.

An estimated 6.4% of households in the City are now car share members – two-thirds of the way to our 10% target of households by 2016. The study report and the City's policy can be downloaded below.