London is the car club center of the United Kingdom (UK) and with membership continuing to thrive is set to lead Europe as 100,000 Londoners now enjoy access to a car without the financial commitment or environmental cost of owning one.
The capital already leads the country as 84 per cent of the UK’s car club cars are located in London; and since his election the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, and TfL have invested more than £1million on support for car clubs.
Their delivery is now set to move up another gear with the Mayor providing funding which will help see the number of car club bays double in one year. A £500,000 investment will contribute to a total target of 2,000 car club bays installed next year, doubling the number of bays currently in the capital.
Car club members in the capital are finding that by joining up they can avoid the hassle and expense of repairs, servicing and insuring their vehicles. Londoners who drive less than 6,000 miles a year can save up to £3,500 compared to the costs of owning and running their own car. Forty per cent of new members in London sell a car as a result of joining a car club.
Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, said: “Car clubs cut Londoners costs, help reduce congestion and ease pressure on parking. They are a brilliant idea and we must surely have the largest number of users compared to any other European city. Membership is booming and the only possible drawback can be if the previous occupant leaves a Kajagoogoo CD in the stereo.”
Boroughs in central London are currently leading the car club craze with a 9,000 strong membership in Islington alone, as well as significant numbers in areas such as Westminster and Camden. But the Mayor’s Office is keen to see them become a feature of the capital’s outer boroughs too.
At a Car Club conference to be held at City Hall on Thursday the Mayor’s transport adviser, Kulveer Ranger, will highlight progress being made towards that aim. He said: “We’re especially keen for Londoners living on the outer areas of our great city to have the opportunity to join clubs. The last 12 months saw bays appear in boroughs like Brent and Merton but Richmond stood out in particular where 100 bays were installed. Our aim now is to encourage as many boroughs as possible to get behind car clubs and we’re delighted that 19 boroughs have applied for TfL funding next year to help them provide the bays, websites and general support that car clubs require.”
Car clubs are also finding themselves at the forefront of the electric and hybrid revolution. Trials of electric and hybrid car club cars are already taking place in Westminster and Camden. Around 680 charging points are expected to be installed in on street and off street car club bays by March 2013. Car clubs contributed to a successful bid by the Mayor to secure £17million of investment in electric vehicle infrastructure for the capital.
Source: London.gov
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