Sint-Martens-Latem (Eurotoday) – Sint-Martens-Latem relaunches car- and bike-sharing campaign after 2 years of low use. Shared cars average 5 bookings monthly. Alderman Peter Draulans cites communication and bike locations as key challenges.
As VRT News reported, Sint-Martens-Latem, in the province of East Flanders, Belgium, is relaunching its campaign to promote its car- and bike-sharing system. The shared cars have been available in the municipality for 2 years, but residents use them only about 5 times a month. The council wants to increase awareness.
“We conducted a survey about interest in car sharing two to three years ago, and it turned out there was interest,”
says Alderman Peter Draulans (N-VA).
What’s next for Sint-Martens-Latem’s car and bike sharing after low use?
The bike-sharing system was added just over a year ago, but it also sees very little demand. The municipality hopes that renewed communication will encourage more residents to try the shared bikes for short trips.
Alderman Draulans says the low use of the car-sharing and bike-sharing services is because of different reasons. He mentioned that many households already own several cars, which reduces the need for shared vehicles. The bike-sharing system also struggles because most residents prefer to use their own bicycles for short local trips.
Alderman Draulans said,
“For the cars, I think there is insufficient communication, and that people prefer to use their own car rather than a shared car.”
“I think it’s because of the location of the bicycles, which is in a remote corner of the municipality, and that’s too far. We’re looking into relocating them to something closer to the center of Sint-Martens-Latem.”
The municipality has now launched a social media campaign to draw more attention to the 2 systems. The campaign will run for 6 months and aims to boost awareness and daily use. If there is no clear increase in demand, the council will end the car-sharing service.
“Car sharing is a municipal initiative, which is expensive,”
Draulans explains.
“It’s different for shared bicycles; they will remain. They’re free for us; they’re part of a complete network within the Ghent transport region.”
Sint-Martens-Latem introduced its shared cars in 2022 after a mobility survey in 2020 and 2021 showed interest in new transport options. The municipality expanded the offer with shared bicycles in mid-2023 as part of the Ghent Transport Region’s push for more sustainable travel.
Despite these steps, use stayed low through 2023 and 2024, with only a few car bookings each month and little demand for
Comments
12 responses to “Sint-Martens-Latem Relaunches Car & Bike Sharing, Draulans Speaks”
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Ah, the grand re-launch of car and bike sharing in Sint-Martens-Latem—just what the world needed, right? 🚗🚲 Maybe if they put the bike racks next to the local bakery, more folks might actually give them a whirl. 🍞
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Oh, marvelous! A car and bike-sharing service that has caught the attention of a whopping five residents a month — who knew such exclusivity could exist? 🚗💨 At this rate, I expect them to start charging a premium for the privilege of using the shared bikes, just to add some suspense to the thrill of a short trip! 😂
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Looks like Sint-Martens-Latem’s car and bike-sharing plan is as popular as a rainy day at a Flemish picnic – 5 bookings a month? At this rate, they’ll need a support group for their vehicles! 🚗🚴♂️
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Oh, brilliant move by Sint-Martens-Latem! After two years of nobody using the shared cars, why not give it another go? 😂 Maybe if they just *communicate* harder, the locals will magically start ditching their own motors and queue up for a ride in a rusty old shared car. Classic!
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Just what Sint-Martens-Latem needed—another campaign to convince people to ditch their cars for… well, more cars. Bravo, Draulans! Maybe next time we can just share a good cuppa and call it a day. ☕🚗💨
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Who knew sharing a car in Sint-Martens-Latem would be as popular as sharing a plate of Brussels sprouts? 🚗💨 Maybe if they added a complimentary croissant with every bike rental, the locals might finally give it a go! 🥐
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Seems like Sint-Martens-Latem’s car and bike sharing is the “hottest” option since sliced bread—if sliced bread was only available five times a month! 🚗💨 Maybe residents are just saving up for a rainy day… or a sunny one on their own bikes! 😂
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Oh, brilliant idea, relaunching a car and bike-sharing scheme while the locals are still happily pedaling their own rust buckets! 🚲 Maybe they’ll consider using the shared ones if you promise to sprinkle a little magic fairy dust on them. 🧚♂️
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Oh, brilliant move, Sint-Martens-Latem! Nothing screams “modern convenience” like shared cars that are more popular as garden ornaments than actual transport. 🚗💨 Good luck relocating those bikes; maybe they’ll finally find a home where someone might actually use them! 😂
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Looks like Sint-Martens-Latem found a new hobby—collecting unused shared cars and bikes! 🚗🚲 It’s almost like they’re trying to win the award for “Most Underwhelming Transport Initiative” in East Flanders!
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Seems like Sint-Martens-Latem’s car and bike-sharing is the perfect example of “if you build it, they will come” – too bad nobody got the memo! 🚗💨 Maybe the locals are just too attached to their own wheels… who can blame them? 😏
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Brilliant move, really. Who wouldn’t want to tiptoe around their own town searching for a bike in a “remote corner”? 😂 Just what we needed: a thrill-seeking adventure for the lazy cyclist! 🚴♂️
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Brilliant strategy, really—who wouldn’t want to share a car that gets more dust than bookings? 🚗💨 Maybe if they move the bikes closer to the pub, we’ll see some action! 🍻
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