Carsharing used by 700,000 Italians

(ANSA) - Rome, November 23 - Bike sharing, car sharing and carpooling continue to rise in popularity in Italy, according to the first nationwide report on 'Sharing Mobility'.
    Some 700,000 Italians engage in carsharing with Milan and Rome accounting for 60%, while 13,770 bikes across the country are used for bike sharing in 200 municipalities - a record for Europe. The report, by the National Observatory on Sharing Mobility, was sponsored by the environment ministry and the Fondazione per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile ('Foundation for Sustainable Development'). It was presented in the Italian capital during the First National Conference on Sharing Mobility. "The south is still behind, but Catania and Palermo are rising" in the levels of shared vehicles, the report states, adding that "most bike sharing takes place in the north", accounting for 64% of the services and 81% of the bikes shared, compared with 14% in central Italy and 22% in the south. Some 5,764 vehicles were used for car sharing in July, 34% of which in Milan - which has 370,000 users signed up - followed by Rome with 26% (220,000 users), Turin (16%) and Florence (11%). About 6.5 million vehicles were rented in 2015.