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The UK has an organisation called Car Plus which is a car club network. There are 29 cities with operational car
clubs and 7 are being developed.
Bristol City Car Club has 150 members and 12 cars. The cars are located at 12 sites across the city with plans to expand the scheme across the
whole over the next few years. With support from Bristol City Council,
the Car Club will contribute to the city's sustainable transport programme.
The Club will be supported for the next four years by Bristol City
Council and the Vivaldi project, a four-year European
Commission funded programme aimed at developing joined-up, environmentally
friendly transport improvements. At the end of the four-year contract the Car
Club aims to have cars in 16 areas of the city. As the scheme expands the range
of incentives for members will continue to grow. The transport operator “First”
currently supports the scheme by providing reduced rate bus travel to members.
Further parking spaces will be made available in response to patterns of
demand.
Car clubs provides all the advantages of owning a new car – with none of
the drawbacks. Members have convenient local access to a vehicle when they need
one and only pay for the time it is in use. Vehicles are parked in reserved parking spaces, close to homes or
workplaces and can be booked for as little as one hour or up to a few days.
Bookings can be made either through the Internet or by telephone, weeks ahead
or as short as half an hour before a car is needed. The cars available are
generally small and mainly intended for short-term usage from one hour to a
day. If a longer hire is required there are special rated negotiated with local
hire companies.
All vehicles are serviced and
maintained by the Car Club. Membership
also includes comprehensive insurance.
Using the car is a simple
process of booking by phone or Internet. The car is located in a secure area
close to where the members live. It is unlocked by a personal smart card.
A Personal Identification Number (PIN) is typed onto a keyboard in the
car which records the user, duration of use and the distance travelled.
The car can then be driven
away.
There is an annual fee to be a
member and then an hourly rate for the hire and a charge for the fuel used. The table below gives an example of the
costs for a small car.
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National Rates
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Fixed Costs
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Membership
fee
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(includes
comprehensive insurance)
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Year
1
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£12 €18 per month (£140 €209 per
year)
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Subsequent
years
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£11 €16 per month (£125 €129 per year)
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Additional
member, same household
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£6 €9 per month
(£70 €105 per year)
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Subsequent
members
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£25 €37per year – no deposit required
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Returnable deposit
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£100 €150 (This
is to protect the Car Club against any unpaid fees or fines, which will be
refunded if you leave the Club, as long as all outstanding bills have been
paid)
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Cost per journey
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Corsa
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Hourly
rate
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£2.30 €3.50
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24
hours
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£26.00 €39.00
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Additional
hours
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£0.80 €1.20
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Returns
to hourly rate after 62hrs
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£2.30 €3.50
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For
longer hire periods discounted rates are offered through a local car rental
partner.
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Mileage
charge (includes fuel and VAT)
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Corsa
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First
100 miles
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£0.15 €0.22
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Any
mileage over 100 miles in one trip
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£0.11 €0.16
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Members receive a
monthly invoice, incorporating a VAT breakdown and itemising the amount
payable for all trips made. A running total can also be viewed through the
internet, so that they can keep track of their costs before the bill arrives.
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Further
information can be found at:
www.smartmoves.co.uk
www.carclubs.org.uk
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