Think Mobility Over: A Survey on Car2go Users in Milan

Abstract

In a moment when city rethinks mobility and users redefine urban transport practices, car sharing takes on a strategic function. However, the ability to develop a shared mobility encounters different resistances—cultural, social and economic—that need to be considered for a truly effective service design. The chapter analyzes the case study of the car2go car-sharing service in Milan based on data collected from a representative sample of users (N = 3758). The analysis shows that the most frequent users are young (under 35), employed, male, with higher education, residents in the city and with limited mobility needs related to the family. They are attracted by the flexibility and convenience of the service, in terms of access to limited traffic areas or free parking. The affordability of the service sets car sharing as a potential replacement of car ownership. Moreover, the price is the factor that most affect the level of overall satisfaction of the users. This doesn’t mean costumers asking for a lower price, rather eliminating price-burdens and, at the same time, elaborate more transparent pricing policy. The inter-modality is the most important challenge for the service configuration, with the coverage of areas and times when the public service is most lacking and the provision of integrated subscriptions.

The chapter is the result of a joint work of the two researchers. However, Sects. 1, 2 and 6 can be attributed to Ivana Pais, while Sects. 3, 4 and 5 can be attributed to Davide Arcidiacono.