A San Francisco city supervisor has proposed car sharing for city workers as a cost-savings measure and way to replace underutilized fleet vehicles.
Under the proposal, which was introduced last week, passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks in the city’s fleet would be replaced over the next 13 years and replaced with contracts with private car-sharing companies such as Zipcar or City CarShare. The proposal would not apply to fire trucks, police cars, Department of Public Works maintenance vehicles or other specialized equipment.
A large portion of the savings under Supervisor Mark Farrell’s plan would come from auctioning off the underutilized vehicles. The city plans to install telematics in city-owned and leased cars to monitor usage. The city’s total fleet consists of 7,152 vehicles. The city hasn’t specified how many fleet vehicles could be eliminated.
San Francisco is following Chicago’s lead on the car-sharing program. In 2011, Chicago implemented the program in its public sector. Chicago reduced its fleet from 1,000 to 650 and saved an estimated $7 million over three years, according to the San Francisco Appeal.
If Farrell’s proposal is approved by the city’s Board of Supervisors, the process of phasing out the 7,152-vehicle fleet could start as early as December, reports Reuters. The board plans to vote on the ordinance in October.
