percent of the time, the callers get the car they want immediately. A variety ofautomobiles (as well as workbikes, which are free of charge) are distributed around 14 lots throughout Berlin, making for only a short trip to fetch them. Car keys and travel logs are found at the lots in safe-deposit boxes, to which members have magnetic cardkeys. Upon returning the vehicles, the well-behaved members fill out travel reports for recordkeeping and accounting. Stattauto bills monthly; for kilometers travelled, hours of use, and the taxi rides that can also be billed to members' cards. The group has a "moonshine rate" for women. Between midnight and Sam, women drive free to their destination and return the car in the morning, avoiding a potentially dangerous walk in the dark. Becoming a Stattauto member involves an investment of $600-900 (returned upon leaving the group), an initiation fee of $75, and monthly dues of $5 to $7.50. The costs are figured to be always just above what it would otherwise cost to use public transit. An organizational bylaw reads "as much with trains and buses, bicycles and feet as possible, and only as much with autos as necessary." Carsharing serves its members and the environment before it thinks about making money. It's one of the few service organizations that discourages the use of its most lucrative service. Another initial rule was that car sharers could not be car owners. About half of the members joining Stattauto have made "painful" separations from their private vehicles. Other members generally either never owned a car, or had given them up long ago. But membership carries a great many benefits. Stattauto' s fleet has grown to about 60 motor vehicles of all different types, such as cars, pickups, and buses, along with At left, car co-op members ,,,'-¢·· have access to many different vehicles: subcompacts, electric cars, station wagons, vans, buses. Right, the founders of Stattauto (Oswald, Carsten and Markus Petersen) with a workbike ''Lasten-fahrrad", available for members to use free of charge. the workbikes. In addition, bike and luggage racks and child seats can be checked out. The growth in membership pushed the development of car-sharing convenience technologies, such as the "Mobilcard", the magnetic card used fo get into those safe-deposit boxes with the car keys. This card has Stattauto information on one side, and the othet is a monthly pass for.Berlin mass transit. Again, it can also be used for taxi charges. One ofthe .easiest ways out of· · · auto ownership is the Car Co-op. Stattauto is committed to researching and demonstrating alternative and appropriate forms of transportation. Not only does it support the use of workbikes, but together with Atlantis, an environmental RAIN Summer 1994 Volume XIV, Number 4 Page 3
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc4NTAz