Car clubs are driving a reduction in car use, car ownership and motoring costs in Britain a new study concludes.
At its annual conference, sustainable transport charity Carplus revealed the latest finding of its latest national survey in which it found that 32 per cent of car club users reported a reduction in vehicle ownership, A further 30 per cent reported that they had deferred purchase of a vehicle as a result of their car club membership. Conservative estimates suggest that each car club vehicle potentially replaces more than 20 privately owned cars.
In addition to cutting car ownership levels, the survey of 8,450 car club users revealed that members tend to have reduced levels of car use too. Fewer than 2 per cent of members hire car club vehicles on a weekly basis or more frequently, and 85 per cent of households with car club members drive under 5,000 miles per year. In addition, on average, car club vehicles are 26 per cent greener than the average UK car, in terms of carbon dioxide emissions.
Chas Ball, Chief Executive of Carplus, commented: “Car clubs make the costs of driving transparent and as a result car club members are more likely to walk, cycle or use public transport, limiting their car use to occasional journeys where use of the car is a necessity.”
Dr Sally Cairns, a Senior Research Fellow at the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) said: “The effects of car club membership on household car ownership appear to be dramatic– which may have significant impacts on the travel habits that members choose to adopt in the longer term.”
Joining a car club offers motorists a flexible approach to car hire. Cars are conveniently parked in designated parking bays around towns and cities and are available to book by the hour, day or week. Car clubs in the UK include Connect by Hertz, Streetcar, Commonwheels and City Car Club. Car club members can save over £1000 annually compared to car ownership, depending on distances travelled.
As a result membership is growing by an average of 70 per cent each year. On 1st February 2011, 161,172 members were using 3,055 car club vehicles, based on data collated by the charity.
