Salford City Council and Co-wheels, the UK’s largest independent car club, have teamed up to launch Greater Manchester’s first environmentally friendly car club.
From August 2015, residents joining the scheme will be able to hire low emission cars on a ‘pay-as-you-go’ basis. The scheme will be rolled out across the city, starting on Quay Street in East Salford.
And Mat Tanner, a Swinton resident, was the first to use a car. His wife had travelled to Liverpool with their 18 month old son and had left a bag behind – so Matt quickly signed up and took the bag over.
Matt said: “I booked the vehicle on my mobile phone – it was a very last minute decision to get the bag to Liverpool. It was much easier than using public transport and saved my wife from having to drive back home when my son was tired.
“We only have one car in our household so the car club gives us flexibility.”
The public launch follows the council’s decision in May to partner with Co-wheels to create a fleet of low cost, low emission cars for council business travel, instead of employees using their own vehicles and claiming back mileage costs.
The council has a fleet of 19 Co-wheels cars at the Civic Centre in Swinton, which staff use during the day. So far 260 council drivers have signed up and driven nearly 5,000 greener miles in the new electric, hybrid and low emission cars.
Now the public will have access to the fleet on a ‘pay-as-you-drive’ basis at evenings and weekends and access 24/7 to two vehicles on Quay Street, off Chapel Street.
City Mayor Ian Stewart said: “Our new green car scheme will help cut congestion and pollution in the city, giving residents access to the latest low emission cars as and when they need them. People no longer need to own a vehicle and can simply rent a car for a few hours to travel around the city.”
Councillor Paul Dennett, Assistant Mayor for Workforce Reform, said: “Whether it’s shopping, visiting family or even make an essential trip to the hospital –the car club gives people freedom, without the trouble and expense of owning a car.”
The scheme is operated by Co-wheels, a social enterprise which aims to improve access to sustainable car use across the country. As a community interest company, all Co-wheels profits are recycled back into the club, which means that cars will be made available in all parts of Salford, instead of just concentrating on areas where most profits will be made.
Richard Falconer, Director of Operations at Co-wheels explains the scheme: “We want to challenge the concept of individual car ownership and promote sustainable travel options, with the freedom to drive for under £4 an hour.
“Once you are signed up as a member, you can pre-book cars online or over the phone from a location near you. You take your smartcard along to the car, hold it over the reader and the car will open. At the end of your booking, return the car back into its bay. Co-wheels send you an invoice for your use each month. It is as simple as that.”
Co-wheels members can access cars across a network of community car clubs in over 50 towns, cities and villages throughout England and Scotland.
Furthermore, the city now has 18 vehicle charging stations. All the Greater Manchester Electric Vehicle (GMEV) charge points can be used for free and fast chargers take approximately three to four hours to fully charge a car.
