Focus of work
Shared transport – car clubs, bike share, shared e-scooters and ride share – enables people to use travel options such as cars and bikes without the need to own them. It offers a range of environmental, social, economic and health benefits to its users and to wider society, including reduced car use and car ownership among its users, users’ higher propensity to active travel and public transport use, and resulting reductions in vehicle emissions.
For the first time, new research by national shared transport charity CoMoUK analyses the realistic potential of shared transport across England and Wales – using integrated data from shared transport users and operators with 2021 census data.
Impact
CoMoUK published their new research, The Full Potential of Shared Transport in England and Wales, in November 2024.
Key findings include:
- 7.2 million households, or 29% of all households, could feasibly use a car club instead of owning a private car.
- 1.6 million fewer cars would be on the road if the full potential of car clubs was reached.
- 5.1 million trips or 39% of all travel to work trips currently made by car owners per day, could feasibly be completed by bike share.
- 1 megatonne of CO2e could be reduced each year with shared bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters.
The report includes recommendations to utilise the full potential of shared transport, with their findings informing their consultancy work with local authorities such as Birmingham City Council, Swansea City Council and Warwickshire County Council. It also informs CoMoUK’s work with key national and international stakeholders in transport and spatial planning, such as the Sustainable Transport Alliance, Low Traffic Future and the Better Planning Coalition.
Additionally, the findings were shared at various conferences and webinars across the UK, engaging members of the public and stakeholders across the transport and wider sectors.