Just thinking. It seemed many residents of New Orleans were stranded and unable to evacuate for lack of a car. Actually, they were stranded for lack of transportation. Ever see pictures of cities around the world with large poor populations and crowded streets? What are many of those people using to get around? Vehicle one is the bicycle, vehicle two is the small displacement motorcycle or motor scooter. The largest segment of the motorcycle market worldwide is the 100cc to 125cc segment.
Wouldn’t it be interesting if someone promoted basic vehicle ownership at that level for families with no vehicle at all? Think of the benefits. Some families are unable to find work for lack of transportation, a basic people mover would solve that problem. Once employed they could eventually move up to a used car if they desired. No one needs to float a bond issue, convince everyone the system is necessary and hire architects and engineers to build a subway or train to be available years in the future, you just get people to buy basic transportation. Vehicles on that level are very inexpensive so cost is not an issue and if a family can’t afford even that, some form of assistance payments could be directed toward transportation and would be far cheaper than a new mass transit system. Perhaps a pilot project could test its feasibility. Encourage them to take care of it, maintain it and lock it up when not in use and then see what happens.
This is a direct action answer to a problem that cuts through the hype. If transportation is the problem, there’s the fix. Just a thought.
Doug Staab says
other services you might find interesting:
FlexCar – http://www.flexcar.com/default.asp
They have got the attention of Steve Case (AOL) & Iaoccoca’s deep pockets.
http://www.zipcar.com/
Maybe there is room for the above companies or a new company to add 2 wheel rentals to the service? I have to look into what the circumstances are for these drivers if they cause an accident or get cited….how safe do you feel knowing there are drivers out there that may not have to worry about a poor inusrance/driving record if all is covered by the above rental’s membership?
I still argue for both personal & public transit. Larger urban areas require public transit, not more vehicles. You can own as many motorcycles & cars as you want; [I would be envious, depending on the collection] but certain times of the day in many of our cities people cannot all be driving by themselves. Nor, would I want everyone to be driving…aren’t there plenty of goons on the road already?
Although there are some public transit systems not working to their potential or other new systems running over budget, this does not mean public transportation does not work. A trip to Germany would be good to witness their train system. I hear the trains run like a clock. That is engineering in design, construction, & most of all, execution.
kneeslider says
Those companies serve a purpose, but my idea is to promote ownership which engages a whole different set of thought processes. If loss of the vehicle is a personal loss and insurance a personal cost then people learn responsible behavior while getting their transportation needs met. As I said, encourage them to take care of it, maintain it, lock it up. What is wrong with requiring a basic level of responsibility from people you are helping? If people are truly poor from no fault of their own then this is not an impossible requirement. If people are poor and without transportation due to prior behavior, requiring responsible behavior gets them moving in the right direction, wouldn’t you think?
Prester John says
Basic transportation:
http://www.bajajauto.com/1024/vehicle/ct100techspec.asp?product=0100021&vehvariation=01
108kpl in India’s version of EPA fuel mileage tests (multiply by ~2.3 for mpg). ~50mph. Under $750US.
A Bajaj TV ad in India showed a guy riding past an overcrowded public transportation bus with a big grin on his face. The message wasn’t lost on the target audience.
Fun fact: Honda has built 150,000,000 motorcycles in the last 60 years – 40,000,000 of which have been 50-90cc step thru Cubs.
kneeslider says
Excellent example of the kind of vehicle I was referring to. Huge mileage numbers, adequate performance, low cost, what’s not to like? This might not be the answer up north but down south it’s perfect.
Of course, Honda and the other companies don’t import those because there’s no market for them, but there could be with a little prompting.
All of this, too, presupposes that lack of transportation is the real issue and not a smoke screen. If you solve that problem, is another one waiting, and another and another?