Socio-Economic Risks of Carsharing Customers in the Moscow Megalopolis

The article presents the results of sociological research of socio-economic risks of carsharing customers in the Moscow megalopolis. Carsharing is considered as one of the new types of sharing economy stimulated our days both by information technologies development and postmodern values of people. Currently carsharing is progressing rapidly in the Russian capital that makes relevant its various aspects of the investigation. There is a real contradiction when, on the one hand, various paid services, including carsharing, are extending and on the other hand corresponding risks for people are growing too. The main goal of the research is discovering of socio-economic risks of Moscow carsharing customers both real and potential. The primary method of empirical sociological of carried out in April-May, 2019 is in-depth interviews with actual and potential customers of Moscow carsharing companies. The study reveals that both actual and potential carsharing customers have some fears related to technical and sanitary conditions of a rented car, traffic accidents, insurance, billing etc. At the same time, we found out that the shared usage of a car itself actual the customers more responsible. It studies that development of carsharing in Moscow is constrained mainly by subjective factors related to the mentality of Russians (fears, phobias) and by such factors as sufficiently low level of trust both to people and social institutions. Obtained results are correlated to the statements made by other researchers and let to map out directions of further study of this field.

carsharing, rent, economy, sharing consumption, risk, megalopolis, transport

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