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A car when you need it... without the cost of ownership
Cars are expensive to run and many go unused during the week, on standby for the odd local journey or weekend excursion.
Now Wandsworth residents have an alternative to car ownership, thanks to an innovative new car club idea.
The new Wandsworth car club will be operated by Streetcar. They will aim to cut congestion, help the environment and relieve members of the financial burden of car ownership.
Instead of paying to own a car that is used only a couple of times a week, Streetcar enables you to pay only for what you use, giving you cost savings and flexibility.
Brett Akker, managing director of Streetcar describes the service as somewhere between car ownership and car rental.
People don’t have to worry about maintenance costs, MOTs, depreciation or insurance and yet the service still gives them complete flexibility. You can hire the car for any length of time, from half an hour to weeks at a time.
Commercial manager at Streetcar, Andrew Edgar, said the service is most effective if you use a car for less than 15 hours a week.
Eighty per cent of miles driven in London are unnecessary so this is a much more efficient use of vehicles. What we’re trying to do is make this experience as close as possible to owning your own car without all the costs.
Local housing association Servite linked up with Streetcar two years ago to provide car clubs on their new developments. When Mike Vesey, who lives in Servite’s Carlton Drive block in Putney, needs to pick up shopping or visit friends out of town, all he has to do is ring a special number, book a car for as long as he needs and pick it up from its parking space outside his block, opening it with the special keycard provided. There’s no need to fill out lengthy car rental forms and instead of returning to a car hire office, he just parks the vehicle back in its space ready for someone else to use.
“I can look outside and, if the car’s there, book it in seconds and use it straight away. It’s just like having my own car,” he said. Currently Streetcar operates 50 cars from 29 off-street locations in Wandsworth and more than 1,800 local people are already using the service, the most in London. From July 9, ten more cars will be available from designated on-street bays for the sole and exclusive use of car club vehicles. This will make the service accessible and more visible to everyone as residents become accustomed to the new signs around the borough and realise how easily they can gain access to a car.
Andy Flood, senior transport planner for Wandsworth Council said:
The car club idea is really beginning to take off. We’re delighted to be working with Streetcar to spread the availability of cars across the borough and help more people consider a car- free lifestyle.
The ten new car club locations are:
- Grant Road, SW11
- Prince of Wales Drive (east), SW8
- Podmore Road, SW18
- Chartfield Avenue, SW15
- Undine Street, SW17
- Magdalen Road, SW18
- Rectory Lane, SW17
- Wimbledon Park Road, SW18
- Chivalry Road, SW11
- Prince of Wales Drive (west), SW11
To find your nearest car or to become a member visit www.streetcar.co.uk or call 0845 644 8475 (7am - 10pm 7 days a week).