Car club to help cut congestion
Hire scheme to improve air quality and reduce vehicles on city’s roads
PORTSMOUTH City Council is to gauge interest in an ‘easy-to-use’ car booking system to help cut congestion, improve air quality and reduce vehicle ownership in the city.
The ‘hire car club’ scheme is the latest in a number of measures to reduce congestion and pollution.
If it proves popular it could be launched early next year with a small fleet of hybrid or electric cars – and each ‘club’ car could replace up to ‘10 privately owned vehicles’.
City transport boss, Cllr Lynne Stagg, said: ‘This could encourage people to get rid of their car – or their second or even third car.’
AN ‘EASY-to-use’ car booking system could be introduced in Portsmouth next year in a bid to reduce vehicle ownership and improve air quality.
The latest step being taken to reduce congestion and pollution on the city’s streets is beginning to take shape. It follows plans to introduce a Clean Air Zone and also to build a distribution centre to try to eliminate the need for HGVs to drive into the city.
The city council is to begin gathering thoughts from residents this summer to gauge interest in a ‘car club’ which would allow them to use hire cars as and when they are needed. It is estimated that each car in a ‘car club’ can replace up to 10 privatelyowned vehicles – with a welcome knock-on effect of reducing the numbers of cars parked on residential streets.
If the scheme proves popular it is hoped to be launched early next year with a small fleet of hybrid or electric cars to begin with. They will be booked using an app.
It comes as the city has seen a reduction in car use amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Portsmouth City Council’s transport boss, Councillor Lynne Stagg, said: ‘This could encourage people to get rid of their car – or their second or even third car. During lockdown some people are driving less because they’re now working from home so it would make sense and save them money. It could also encourage them to walk and cycle for shorter journeys.
‘Obviously because of the pandemic a system would have to be sorted where the cars are cleaned after use.
‘At the moment we need to know how many people want to use them, there has to be enough interest for it to work.
‘I think it would start off with a small number of cars with the potential to grow depending on how many people join.’
A report going to a traffic and transportation meeting this week says: ‘With car ownership in Portsmouth showing a steady increase over recent years, there is increasing pressure on the road network.’
The idea was backed by Southsea resident and environmentalist Claire Seek who is one of the organisers of the Wimbledon Park Patch community group. The group has already started looking at a small car club for the area.
She said: ‘It’s about providing the option for everyone, whether it’s a family or workers or students who don’t drive all the time but might need it to go to the shops or for a day trip.
‘It’s an easy-to-use system. You can choose and pay for a time slot through an app and then either your phone or card unlocks the car.
‘If you’re stuck in traffic and going to run over your time the car contacts the company to adapt the next bookings. You can book slots for as short as 15 minutes.’
Similar car clubs are currently running in other cities including Nottingham, Bristol and Brighton with some operating fleets of more than 120 cars in one area.
If enough residents are interested in the scheme it is planned the council will seek a vehicle hire company later this year.
If there is one thing to come out of the coronavirus pandemic – apart from the obvious – it is the accelerated focus on the environment. Pollution and traffic congestion in Portsmouth has been high on the agenda for some time and it was clear to see at the height of the lockdown the affects of less traffic on our roads.
Air quality improved and it has been clear that those who are tasked with reducing pollution have grabbed the initiative in and around the city by creating more cycle ways to encourage commuters to use their bikes instead of their cars.
There have been a number of measures proposed in recent months – not least the plans to introduce a Clean Air Zone and also to build a distribution centre to try to eliminate the need for HGVs to drive into the city.
The latest scheme being investigated by the city council is that of a ‘car club’ whereby the city council would encourage drivers – especially those who do not need or use a car every day – to ditch their vehicles and hire a car when they do need one.
This would all be done through an app.
Each vehicle in the ‘club’ could potentially replace up to 10 privately owned vehicles in the city – but with less vehicles on the road it would also play its part it reducing pollution.
Ten vehicles doesn't sound that many but similar schemes have been operating in cities like Brighton, Bristol and Nottingham with approaching 120 cars in the clubs.
Every little helps when it comes to the air that we breathe and if it goes even a small way to taking vehicles off our already congested streets that can only be a good thing.
Many people have been used to not using their cars amid the coronavirus lockdown as they have been working from home so the timing of this scheme couldn’t come at a better time.