Member Article

Successful first year for Liverpool’s Car Club

Liverpool’s pay-as-you-go Car Club is celebrating a highly successful first twelve months.

The scheme, launched in October 2013, has seen businesses and residents using the service, helping to reduce congestion and improving air quality.

Currently, more than 200 members using seven low-emission vehicles across the city centre. Over the past year the vehicles have made more than 1800 trips and in the process have saved 2.9 tonnes of CO2.

Councillor Malcolm Kennedy, cabinet member for regeneration and transport, said: “City Car Club is a great scheme; it gives businesses, residents the convenience of owning a vehicle without the hassle and expense with particular benefits to young drivers.

“It also goes a long way to help reduce levels of pollution on our streets so everyone has a little more breathing space. The past 12 months in which the car club has operated have been really successful and we’ve got every confidence that it will go from strength to strength.”

The car club continues to grow with more businesses using the service every month.

One such business is IBI Group – one of the largest architecture firms in the world and the name behind projects such as the Bio-Innovation Centre, Kings Waterfront and Royal Liverpool Hospital.

The firm joined City Car Club soon after it launched last year and as regular users are grateful for its presence in the city.

Danny Marsh, Studio Associate at IBI Group, said: “City Car Club has completely changed the way we approach business travel. It’s a really convenient and cost-effective way of making short journeys in and around the city region.

“We have several cars in close proximity to the office and we regularly use them to meet clients and make site visits. The car club has allowed us to be much more flexible and professional, plus we’ve been able to make significant financial savings in terms of business mileage.”

The success of the scheme is further buoyed by the fact that it is due to expand in the coming months. November will mark the arrival of a new bay and vehicle at Duke Street.

The new car club site will boast City Car Club’s most popular vehicle, the Toyota Yaris Hybrid, which will be available for all City Car Club members to use.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .