Charlotte Yates, provost and vice-president (academic), offered insight for a CBC News Online article about why more Canadians are  going car-free.

She told columnist Don Pittis that there’s a shift in consumer demand among young urbanites who are delaying car ownership, or abandoning it altogether by not even getting driver’s permits.

She said many young city dwellers are deciding they don’t want the high cost of vehicle ownership and maintenance and are more interested in the growing variety of alternatives, including ride-sharing.

Yates, a long-time car industry analyst, studies labour relations and industrial policy, and is a frequent media commentator on the auto industry.