Car Club Membership Trebles

---

with over 3000 members in council backed scheme

The council backed company, Streetcar, has announced that it has more than 3,000 members covering every Wandsworth postcode. This compares to just over 1,000 a year ago.  

The company started out by recruiting members who would collect their  hire cars from  reserved  bays on private land..   In July last year the council set aside 10 bays in streets across the borough in a move to extend availability to more residents.   Since then the company has continued to add to the number of off-street spaces with the numbers almost doubling from 29 to 55.  

Cars located at the 65 locations are currently hired out for an average five hours a day. Members book a vehicle online or over the phone before collecting it from its space.   The hire period can be as little as half an hour. At the end the member returns the car to the same spot.

Executive member for planning and transportation Guy Senior said:   "Car clubs are an idea whose time has come. There are now car club members in every corner of Wandsworth. It's a simple way to cut motoring costs, reduce congestion and save on emissions.   "The success of the scheme means we are now looking at ways of providing more on-street bays. This is the key to bringing this form of car sharing within reach of many more drivers."  

Brett Akker of Streetcar added:   "We are absolutely thrilled at the amount of Wandsworth residents who are joining up to Streetcar. More people are discovering the benefits of being able to use a car whenever they want without all the costs and hassles of owning one."  

What are Car Clubs? A car club provides its members with quick and easy access to a car for short term hire. Members can make use of car club vehicles as and when they need them. An example of a Car Club:

Book - for as little as half an hour at a time, using telephone or internet. The booking can be made well ahead of time or with a few minutes notice. Unlock  - cars are located at designated parking bays in the local area and accessed using the member’s smart card Drive – Once inside the driver enters a pin and drives away, returning the car at the end of the journey. It is possible to extend the booking if necessary Pay  - Pay-as-you-go charges include fuel and maintenance costs. A subscription charge is paid monthly or annually.

                                                   

May 23, 2008