Glasgow will soon be home to the world's greenest car club after the hourly car and van rental company, City Car Club, won the competitive tender to operate the city's official car club.
Every car in the Glasgow City Car Club will boast CO2 emissions of less than 100g/km making it not only the greenest commercially operated car club in the UK, but across the world*. Exact makes and models of cars are yet to be finalised but the fleet will be a mix of hybrid cars and the latest 'eco diesel' cars.
Being a member of City Car Club gives you 24/7 access to locally parked, self-service cars that can be booked online or over the phone at a moment’s notice from less than £4 an-hour. Each car lives in its own reserved on-street parking bay so there’s always a parking space waiting at the end of your journey. It’s a cost effective and greener alternative to owning a car. City Car Club has experienced unprecedented growth in Scotland and England as motorists and businesses have looked to tighten their belts during the past couple of years.
The Glasgow City Car Club will launch by the end of September, and by the end of the year will have 20 cars with many more arriving in 2011 and beyond. The first phase of cars will be located primarily in the West End, with cars in the City Centre and South Side following shortly after (see editors notes for full details of the locations). City Van’s will be added in the New Year providing hourly van rental for members.
Councillor Jim Coleman, Executive Member for Land and Environmental Services, said: "We have long hoped to establish a car club in Glasgow and City Car Club make an ideal partner for us, with a wealth of experience elsewhere in the country.
“This scheme has great potential to cut congestion and improve air quality. Other cities that have launched car clubs have seen a reduction in car ownership among members and a reduction in the number of miles they travel by car, which has obvious environmental benefits.”
James Finlayson, City Car Club’s Managing Director commented: “We are delighted to have been selected to operate Glasgow’s official car club. We have had more requests from Glasgow residents and businesses to bring our service to their city than anywhere else in the UK, so we know there is huge demand for our alternative to car ownership. As well as being a way for Glaswegians to drive down the cost of motoring, the city will benefit from a scheme that will help reduce carbon emissions, congestion and parking pressure.”
City Car Club already operates a highly successful car club in Edinburgh with approaching 4000 members and a fleet of 100 cars conveniently located in and around the city centre and beyond. Members of the new Glasgow car club will not only have access to every City Car within Glasgow, but also every City Car and City Van in Edinburgh and thirteen other major cities in England. Across the UK, City Car Club has a membership base of 20,000 and over 550 cars and vans.
Car club membership appeals to both residents and businesses alike. Many members join as a cost effective alternative to car ownership enabling them to pay for a car when they need one, without paying for it when they don’t. Equally, businesses are saving money by choosing car club membership over running pool cars, using taxis, booking traditional hire cars, or reimbursing their employees for using their own cars.
*Greenest commercial car club operating 10 cars or more based on average CO2 emissions of fleet.
