Sarah Ludford MEP joins London City Car Club with her Oyster card

3.24.27pm GMT Fri 12th Nov 2004

Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, Liberal Democrat MEP for London, welcomes a new initiative by London City Car Club, whereby members can use their Oyster cards to access pay-as-you-drive vehicles.

Sarah, a newly signed-up member of her local Car Club in Islington, comments:

"This move is a great step towards a truly integrated transport system for Londoners. A fantastically convenient and cost-effective scheme, car clubs herald the future for convenient occasional car travel in our city, without needing to own your own car.

"You can leave from home or get off the tube and walk just a few minutes to your club car in its reserved parking space. All you do is open it with your Oyster card, and drive away. The hourly rate means you only use the car when you need it, which cuts down on unnecessary car journeys."

ENDS

Notes:

1. City Car clubs are operated by Smart Moves Ltd. Smart Moves was established in 1998 and is the operator of four city car clubs, in London, Edinburgh, Bristol and Brighton, and a rural car club in Bradford upon Avon. Currently, these car clubs have over 900 members and a fleet of over 70 cars between them. Smart Moves is the largest operator of car clubs in the UK and the company is currently growing at a rate of around 30% per quarter.

2. How do cars clubs work? After being approved for membership, members gain access to the car club cars using their individual 'smart card' and PIN number. The cars can be booked through the car club website, or by phone, 24-hours-a-day. The cars can be booked up to 6 months in advance, or members can just turn up and drive.

3. Car club members have local access to a vehicle when they need one and only pay for the time it is in use and the miles driven. Vehicles are parked in reserved parking spaces, close to homes or workplaces and can be booked for as little as one hour or up to a few days.

4. The London City Car Club is working with a consortium of seven London Boroughs including Camden, Ealing, Islington, Kensington & Chelsea, Lambeth, Merton and Sutton to launch a network of cars across the capital.

5. For further information about Smart Moves and the LCCC please contact Dirk van Dijl on 07860 859749.

The European Union MOSES-project (mobility services for urban sustainability) recommends Car Clubs and other car sharing schemes.

The EU White Paper - 'European Transport Policy for 2010 - time to decide' - states that car-sharing is a recommended means of transport.