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At 04:14 PM 09/20/2000 CET, you wrote: >Many thanks to anyone (11 together) who enabled me" a knowledge >sharing using our UTSG-knowledge pool". Although there are some >differences between North America and Europe, I can conclude the >following: > Ride sharing (of a car) = more than one person riding the same car. > Car sharing = one person uses (drives) it now, another one in the >other time. > I.e. these two terms deal with the use (operation). On >the other hand: > Car pooling = pooling cars for common use (e.g. for car sharing or >ride sharing). > I.e. the last term deals with owner's rights (privileges). > > Is it O.K.? Here are the definitions as they are commonly used in North America. Ridesharing = more than one person riding in the same vehicle, which includes carpools and vanpools. The important point is that it makes use of capacity (vehicle seatw) that would otherwise be empty, and therefore increases mobility without increasing vehicle trips. It can be considered parallel use of a vehicle. Carsharing = more than one person sharing a vehicle at different times, in order to reduce the need for private vehicle ownership. This increases vehicle use options, and because it converts fixed costs into variable cost, it tends to significantly reduce total per capita vehicle use. Carpooling is generally a subset of ridesharing (using private cars rather than specially owned vans). Some large organizations have a pool of vehicles, and so an employee may take a car from the carpool for business use. However, that is completely different concept from the more common use of the term. Sincerely, Todd Litman, Director Victoria Transport Policy Institute "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity" 1250 Rudlin Street Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, Canada Phone & Fax: 250-360-1560 E-mail: [log in to unmask] Website: http://www.vtpi.org %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%