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Bristol
City Car Club provides a
good example
of a working partnership
between a number of
different sectors. Launched as the BEST car club in July 2000 with
seven members sharing two cars, it is steadily expanding into
new neighbourhoods. There are now several hundred members, with people across
the city lining up to join the club as soon as parking bays can be
designated in their area. The
club now boasts a large fleet of 40 vehicles - the majority parked in
on-street bays, and the remainder serving hospitals in North Bristol.
The driving force behind the car club were members of the local community in the Totterdown area who set up the Bristol Community Car Club Association (BCCCA). They had the vision to see a car club not just as a solution to their local parking and congestion problems, but as a way of tackling wider traffic issues across the city. Their timing was good: Bristol City Council was working on its integrated transport policy and made a commitment in its local transport plan (LTP) to support the expansion of the car club across the city.
BCCCA was able to secure funding from Shell Better Britain Campaign (now Sustainable Communities) and the Sustainable Neighbourhood Fund. Bristol City Council supplied funding for the feasibility study and initial set up costs, and in 2002 it committed to funding of £160,000 over four years, drawn from its LTP budget and the European Commission supported Vivaldi project.
BCCCA put in a lot of volunteer time in setting up the car club, and decided to hand over the running of the club to operator City Car Club (formerly Smart Moves).
Fees, in-car technology and back office systems are the same as for the Edinburgh City Car Club.
The Council has taken over key roles in the development of the club, including
letting the contract to car club operator City Car Club, and monitoring the performance and impact of the car club
provision of legally enforceable parking bays through traffic regulation orders (TROs)
liaison with First Bus for discounted fares for car club members
securing car clubs as part of new developments
On one 300 plus unit development at a former education college by Westbury Homes, a contribution of £33,000 has been made to the city council to support the car club in providing three cars over 3 years, including leasing and technology installation, free membership for 35 residents and promotional material for the car club provision on the Ashley Down development.
The ‘home zone’ area in Southville has 2 car club spaces included as part of a section 106 planning condition. The car club in the home zone has been combined with an already thriving cluster of vehicles and has been very successful. Further section 106 agreements providing money for free memberships for residents of a recent development of 12 units will add to this. City Car Club has worked with Sustrans to provide a car club service to a home zone area in the Dings, just outside Bristol city centre.
The car club fleet includes cars parked at two hospitals run by the North Bristol NHS Trust. Staff can use them for work trips and take advantage of a half-price membership deal for private use. The cars are also available for use by other car club members.
Informal monitoring carried out in August 2003[1] - when there were 90 members sharing 6 cars - suggested that 30 members had got rid of a private car (many being “horrible old cars”). Several others were on the point of buying a car but joined the car club instead. Therefore it is reasonable to assert that the existence of the club and its six cars had removed 35 cars from the road – a ratio of almost 1:6.
The car club cars do about 12,000 miles per year. Until more formal monitoring results are produced, it is not possible to say how many of these miles have replaced other car journeys. However, the reduction in private car ownership suggests that the club is responsible for a significant reduction in road miles.
Bristol City Council has identified a number of lessons learnt through the Bristol City Car Club experience[2]:
political support and understanding are essential for the progress of a car club
community champions act as the best form of marketing for the scheme
a car club should be seen as a package of measures: in isolation its scope for impact will always be limited and open to challenge
don’t expect a car club to take off overnight – but in the longer term growth has the potential to be exponential
early members tend to join for ethical reasons, so the transport and environmental impacts will not be so great in the early years
Local Authorities do have powers to support the club through the Local Government Act 2002
MEMBER PROFILES
Trevor, late 30’s
“A joy not to have to worry about maintaining a car.”
GP Trevor Thompson and his family joined the car club shortly after it was launched. A combination of their own car needing replacing and problems finding a parking space near their house led them to becoming members. “Work, home and school are (all) in a small patch so we can walk or cycle most days and the children (have become) extremely good walkers.” The family uses the Astra estate most weekends for a shopping trip or trip away and Trevor makes occasional use of the car for home visits. Trevor particularly appreciates the club’s good quality, reliable vehicles.
Cath, mid 50’s
“[The club] has enabled me to work more efficiently and be flexible and, I think, more professional.”
Cath and her husband John own a car which John uses for the daily commute. Previously Cath, who is an artist, was limited to using the car at weekends, hiring taxis or trying to borrow cars from friends. Since joining the local car club a year ago, Cath uses it for a variety of tasks “As an artist I have to collect frames, deliver paintings, set up exhibitions, do sketching and research visits.” Cath still walks to most places, but finds she uses the car club once or twice a month.
Contacts
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Operator: City Car Club |
[1] Draft Soft Factors Report for the DfT – University College London December 2003
[2] Presentation by Alistair Cox, Senior Transport Planner, Bristol City Council Oct 2002
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