Co-wheels wins contract for new Car Club operation in Glasgow
The new Car Club will go live from 4th September 2015 and will give members access to 37 low emission vehicles across Glasgow City with ten additional bays planned during 2015.
Members of the previous Car Club scheme can benefit from free membership and £10 free driving credit as a sign-up incentive to welcome them to Co-wheels. The offer is also open to new members for a limited time up to the launch date by visiting co-wheels.org.uk/glasgow
The new Co-wheel cars will predominantly be Toyota Yaris hybrid vehicles and low emission Toyota Aygos. They will be available from dedicated parking bays at existing locations in Glasgow:
14 cars in the City Centre
10 cars in the West End
4 cars in the East End
9 cars on the South Side
In addition, ten further bays in new locations will be installed during 2015.
Richard Falconer, Director at Co-wheels said:
"We are delighted to be working with Glasgow City Council to deliver the Car Club scheme in the city and to grow existing provision. More people seeing car sharing as a convenient and low cost alternative to car ownership. When people sign up to a Car Club, they benefit from the flexibility of being able to book a car on a "pay as you drive" basis with none of the hassle of car ownership, parking or having to pick up keys from a hire company's offices. People experience all of the benefits with none of the hassle of owning a car.
"We are keen to make the transition to Co-wheels Car Club as easy as possible for both existing members of the current scheme and for new members and are encouraging people to sign up via our website. The scheme in Glasgow addsto our successful car club schemes already running in Aberdeen, Dundee and Dumfries, as well as newly formed community car clubs in East Lothian and Huntly,and we are delighted to be able to bring our experience now to help expand the Glasgow scheme out to even more members."
Councillor Alistair Watson, the Executive Member for Sustainability and Transport at Glasgow City Council, said:
"Since the council launched the Car Club in 2010, more and more Glaswegians are making the most of this environmentally friendly car sharing scheme.
"Building a more sustainable city is in everyone's interest and the car club has proved very beneficial to Glasgow. The new contract with Co-wheels to provide a pay as you go car club service for the next five years will make it even easier for people across the city to save money and help cut down on pollution and congestion on our roads.
"A car club is a great asset to the city and we look forward to working with Co-wheels to provide this fantastic service to the public."
Co-wheels is the largest Car Club operator in the UK with operations in more than 50 locations, from small villages to city centres. As a social enterprise, it ploughs all of its profits back into expanding the community car club network, and taking more cars off the road. Car Clubs are growing rapidly across the UK - over the past five years, there has been sustained growth in Car Club membership to over 22,500 members using almost 700 vehicles in England and Wales outside London.
Richard Falconer from Co-wheels added:
"As a social enterprise, Co-wheel's mission is to help members and partners to save money, reduce car ownership and create environmental benefit. Because Co-wheels is a Community Interest Company, profit is reinvested into operations to expand the service. Our company mission ties in well with Glasgow's aspiration to become a truly green pioneer and its ambitious target to reduce carbon emissions by 30% by 2020."
Advantages of joining a car club include:
There are 3,040 fewer privately owned cars on Scotland's roads as a result of Car Club members selling, disposing of or deferring purchase of vehicles.
Shared transport solution helps reduce congestion - 18% of drivers joining a Car Club in Scotland avoid buying a car;
Over 12 cars are removed from the roads for every car club car on the street, which also helps reduce parking congestion;
Electric and hybrid vehicles help tackle air quality issues in the city centre;
Studies show Car Club vehicles are 37% less polluting than average public-owned car.
Car Club members are more likely to use public transport and active travel modes more as part of their personal transportation requirements.
Car Clubs Reduce congestion and parking issues in city centres.
Anybody wanting to sign up to the Co-wheels car club scheme should visit the website to register for membership: www.co-wheels.org.uk/glasgow
ENDS
For more information, case studies, photos, or to request an interview, please contact Tricia Fox atscotland@greenhousepr.co.ukor call mobile: 07989 955039
Notes for editors
Co-wheels is the UK's only independent national car club, operating community car clubs in over 50 towns and cities across Scotland and England.
Co-wheels is now pioneering wheelchair accessible vehicles, electric vans, and electric bike provision, all operating under the same public booking system. With a 24/7 helpdesk, vehicle valeting, fuel and insurance all included, Co-wheels members simply hire a vehicle when needed, only paying for what they use. www.co-wheels.org.uk