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SME transport options expand with cash boost for car clubs

Car clubs 800 crop
Baroness Susan Kramer, Minister of State for Transport, hope that additional funding will kick start an increase in rural car clubs

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27 November 2014

Baroness, Susan, Kramer
Baroness Susan Kramer, Minister of State for Transport, with one of the winning car club schemes in Norfolk

WINNING car club schemes taking a share of a £500,000 government handout have been announced for Derby, Nottingham, Norfolk and West Yorkshire, making them ever more attractive for local SME business managers.

Transport Minister Baroness Kramer announced that the cash will make more than 50 new vehicles available across car club demonstration projects which successfully bid for the financial awards.

Baroness Kramer launched a funding competition to support pilot projects earlier this year as part of the car club development programme.

She said:  “These investments will give the growing interest in car clubs added momentum. Car clubs cut congestion, reduce carbon and save people money while still giving people the freedom and flexibility to use a car when they want to.

We can now look forward to the winning towns and cities providing a practical demonstration of the increasing relevance of car clubs to sustainable transport throughout England.”

The grant is hoped to kick start or expand projects in small towns and rural areas and also fund projects that aim to improve transport integration for both business and private users.

The 4 car club demonstration project awards are:

  • Norfolk County Council and Norwich City Council: £100,000 funding to grow the successful Norfolk Car Club in Norwich and across the Greater Norwich area.
  • Derby City Council: £75,000 funding for a new car club starting with 10 city centre car club vehicles available to businesses and residents.
  • Nottingham City Council: £37,500 funding will be used to create 5 new hubs at key transport interchanges including the train station and Park n’ Ride sites offering access to shared cars. The Nottingham Citycard, an integrated smart ticket which currently offers train, tram and bus travel will also become the ‘key’ to these vehicles.
  • West Yorkshire Combined Authority: £37,500 funding to add 20 cars across the authority from York in the north to Halifax in the west, with seamless bus, train and car club travel possible through the MCard.

Chas Ball, chief executive of Carplus, said: “This is a significant step forward for car clubs, creating the conditions for innovative schemes that also provide excellent examples of how car clubs complement public transport.”

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