People in Leeds now have even more choice about how to make journeys, thanks to a new easy-to-use scheme for sharing privately owned cars.

Karshare, the first peer-to-peer car share scheme in Leeds, already operates in Manchester, Birmingham, Coventry, Bristol and London. This new service means you can hire a car or van from someone in your local community, or you can rent out your own vehicle and make some extra money.

This means that people who don’t have access to a car, or who want to avoid owning a second car, can borrow one when they need to do so.

It offers another way to get around Leeds, especially if public transport or active travel are not an option – just sign up, use the app to find a nearby unused car and book it, then use the keyless fob to get direct access.

Car sharing means fewer privately owned cars, and so less congestion and less environmental impact from production processes. Karshare joins a growing ‘community of things’ cultural movement (sharing goods and services). You can read more about how this applies to transport at CoMoUK, a charity that supports the sharing of cars, bikes, e-scooters and rides.

In Leeds, many people already use informal carpools, share lifts and cars with friends and family, to cut down on ‘single occupancy’ journeys. Other formal options available locally include:

• Enterprise Car Club, which allows you to hire a car by the hour from fixed locations.
• WYCarshare offers a ride share scheme, matching drivers with passengers who are going the same way.

The first five vehicle owners with an eligible vehicle to sign up to Karshare will receive a free keyless technology installation (worth £195). This is the kit that enables all rentals to be 100% contactless and managed via the Karshare app.

For more information, visit Karshare.com