| A ground breaking
city car club is planned for the innovative Beddington Zero Energy
Development (BedZED) in Hackbridge, London Borough of Sutton.
ZEDcars car club will offer access
to reliable, modern cars to residents and businesses based at BedZED
without the hassle or overheads of car ownership. The ZEDcars Vauxhall
fleet will operate from the BedZED development and car club members
will be able to book cars by the hour, by the mile or for longer
hires. A flexible booking system will allow members to book cars
by ‘phone, over the internet or via the in-car communications
system.
Although relatively new to the
UK, the car club concept is already well-established in continental
Europe where thousands of members share hundreds of cars. BedZED
environmental consultants BioRegional Development Group announced
today that they have teamed up with Smart Moves, who already operate
successful car clubs in Edinburgh and Bristol, to set up and operate
ZEDcars.
Adrian Pancucci, a Peabody spokesperson,
said today:
“We’re delighted to support the BioRegional and Smartmoves
car club partnership as it opens up environmentally responsible
car use to all residents. The car club plays a key role in the Green
Transport Plan and in helping us to make BedZED a sustainable development
over all.”
The ZEDcars service commenced
this week for BedZED’s first residents. The car club is an
integral part of the BedZED Green Transport Plan which aims to halve
private car mileage at the development by helping people to live
a less car dependent lifestyle.
ZEDcars vehicles will be fitted
with an in-car communications system, Drive-IT, which is already
widely used in Scandinavia. Each ZEDcars member will receive a smart
card which is used to access the cars. Inside each car, mobile phone
technology will provide an internet link to the car club operations
centre and will let members know how long they have left on a booking
and how far they have travelled. It will also allow members to make
or extend bookings from the car.
Chas Ball Managing Director of
Smartmoves commented on the scheme:
We’re pleased to be partners with BioRegional in establishing
our first London Car club which will benefit from the experience
that we have had in Edinburgh. Our aim is to give people the choice
not to own a car but to have access through a pay as you drive scheme.
We’re keen to add other benefits for members to enhance their
mobility.”
Car club membership will offer
additional benefits. Discounted car rental will be available from
local car rental company, United Rental for longer car hires. Discounts
have also been negotiated with Vauxhall rental UK-wide for trips
starting from other cities.
‘The project has been funded
by the £13.94 million Social, Economic and Environmental Development
(SEED) Programme, working in partnership with the New Opportunities
Fund through their Green Spaces and Sustainable Communities initiative’.
Further information on ZEDcars
can be obtained by ‘phoning 0845 330 3920 or e-mailing chris.harte@smartmoves.co.uk
Notes
Smart Moves Ltd is a specialist
car club operator. It currently runs the car clubs in Edinburgh
and Bristol and provides "back office" services from its
offices in Huddersfield and Coventry. The Edinburgh City Car Club,
which Smart Moves re-launched in October 2001, uses the same technology
as ZEDcars and now over 100 members.
Smart Moves is working with local authorities, developers and local
residents to extend car clubs to other parts of London, and in other
urban and rural areas of Britain
Press contact: Managing Director, Chas Ball: 01484 483061 or 07970
666146
Email: info@smartmoves.co.uk
SEED: In September 2000 the New
Opportunities Fund, a National Lottery ‘good cause’
distributor, appointed the Royal Society for Nature Conservation
(RSNC) as an Award Partner in its Green Spaces and Sustainable Communities
funding programme. Through this, RSNC’s Social, Economic and
Environmental Development (SEED) Programme is to distribute £13.94
million in lottery funding.
website: www.rsnc.org.uk
The New Opportunities Fund distributes
National Lottery money to health, education and environment projects
across the UK. The Fund works with national, regional and local
partners from the public, private and voluntary sectors to fund
initiatives, with particular focus on the needs of those who are
most disadvantaged in society.
website: www.nof.org.uk.
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