13 October 2009
Expanding car clubs across Scotland
New project to set out ways to bring the benefits of car share schemes beyond Edinburgh
The Transform Scotland Trust [1] has today (Tuesday 13th) announced details of its plans to review opportunities for expanding car clubs across Scotland. [2] The project will bring together recommendations for action by the Scottish Government and local government and raise understanding of the potential contribution that car clubs can make both directly and indirectly to reducing carbon emissions from transport. [3]
The project, which will be carried out over the next few months, has attracted the support of three of Scotland's regional transport partnerships, Co-operative Development Scotland, ScotRail and the Scottish Government. [2]
Professor Stephen Stradling, [4] Chair of the Transform Scotland Trust, said:
"The 100,000th car club member in Britain will be signed up this autumn but only 3% of these people are in Scotland. Our research will identify how car clubs can become available to people across Scotland, and not just in Edinburgh. We will identify what is required to create a more supportive environment for both commercial car clubs to flourish in bigger conurbations and for co-operative or voluntary schemes in smaller communities.
"We know that the Scottish transport minister Stewart Stevenson is personally keen to see the expansion of car clubs, and we intend this research to present a clear way forward for the Minister and his colleagues in local government to make car clubs commonplace in Scotland." [5]
Chas Ball, [6] who has been commissioned to lead the project, said:
"Edinburgh led the way by creating the UK's first commercially run car club, and it remains to this day the largest car club in Britain outside London. [7] But ten years after its introduction, there are still no large car-sharing clubs outside of Edinburgh. There are, however, a number of new start-up and experimental schemes in the planning stage - in Glasgow, Aviemore, and Mallaig - which Transform Scotland Trust plans to document as part of this project.
"The principle of car clubs is simple - members have access to a fleet of vehicles based in convenient locations near their home, workplace or transport hubs for use on an 'as required' basis. Typically members book cars on-line and pay by the hour plus mileage. Individuals and employers gain the benefit of access to a car, without the cost and responsibility of private vehicle ownership. They often also gain access to dedicated on-street parking in areas where parking is limited and costly.
"Higher fuel costs, increased environmental awareness, and a slowing economy have supported the rapid growth of car clubs in Britain - particularly in London over the last two or three years - as the concept has become better understood, and the technology has improved."
To contribute to the review - and to provide opportunities to learn more about recent developments here and elsewhere in Europe - there will be three one-day workshops run in November in Glasgow, Perth and Inverness. Details of the programme and how to register a contribution are available at <http://www.transformscotland.org.uk/carclubsreview.aspx>.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
[1] Transform Scotland Trust
The Transform Scotland Trust was established to carry out research and educate the public about transport's impact on the economy, environment, and society as a whole. The Trust is chaired by Stephen Stradling, Professor of Transport Psychology at Edinburgh Napier University's Transport Research Institute. See <http://www.transformscotland.org.uk/trust.aspx> for details.
[2] Car Clubs Review project
The project is funded by three regional transport partnerships (SEStran. Strathclyde Partnership for Transport and TACTRAN) and by Co-operative Development Scotland. It also has received in-kind support from HITRANS, First ScotRail and the Scottish Government.
[3] Car clubs and climate change emissions
A "national network of car clubs" was identified in research published by the Scottish Government in August 2009 as being one of the most cost-effective measures for reducing climate change emissions from the transport sector. The research, by Atkins and The University of Aberdeen, 'Mitigating Transport's Climate Change Impact in Scotland: Assessment of Policy Options', is available at <http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/08/26141950/11>.
[4] Prof. Stephen Stradling
See <http://www.napier.ac.uk/fhlss/HSS/Staff/Pages/Stephen_Stradling.aspx> for biography of Prof. Stephen Stradling.
[5] Transform Scotland Trust car clubs conference
Transform Scotland Trust held a conference in Edinburgh in March 2009 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the launch of the Edinburgh car club. Scottish Government transport minister Stewart Stevenson MSP spoke at the conference and spoke of his enthusiasm for the future expansion of car clubs in Scotland. See <http://www.ratransport.co.uk/postcarclubconf.html> for details.
[6] Chas Ball
The review is being carried out by who Chas Ball, a transport consultant specialising in car clubs. He was founder of City Car Club and he was responsible for the take over in 2001 of Edinburgh City Car Club operations from Budget Rentacar. He left to work in consultancy in late 2007.
[7] Edinburgh City Car Club
Edinburgh's City Car Club has nearly 3,000 members and 90 cars. It has on street locations throughout the city serving residents, small businesses and providing pool cars for council staff. See <http://www.citycarclub.co.uk/> for full details.
END OF NEWS RELEASE