£40k Government funding for low carbon car clubs
Thu 01 July 2010
View all news
Transport minister Norman Baker has announced £40,000 funding to support car club development in the UK. The Government views such schemes as an effective way of tackling congestion, reducing the level of CO2 emissions and improving the quality of life of citizens and communities.
The Government says that car clubs have increased massively in popularity with the number of members increasing from just 22,000 in 2007 to more than 127,114 members to date. Members tend to choose to travel fewer miles by car compared to private car owners and the vehicles they do drive are more efficient.
Norman Baker said: "The Coalition Government, in its programme for government, has been clear in its commitment to sustainable travel initiatives such as car clubs to help achieve a greener and more sustainable transport sector.
"The figures speak for themselves – each car club vehicle can result in taking 24 private vehicles off the road and the low carbon vehicles used typically emit approx 33% less CO2 than the average car. This is why we are supporting the continued growth of car clubs across the country."
Research has shown that pay-as-you-go car clubs reduce car use and support other sustainable travel initiatives by plugging gaps in journeys and promoting a shift in long term behaviour.
Antonia Roberts, Director of Carplus - the national charity supporting car club development - and a LowCVP Board member, commented: "£40,000 may seem like a relatively small amount of funding but it has a huge significance in this period of reduced spending. The DfT’s announcement signifies valuable support for car clubs, which can save individuals, businesses and local authorities money, reduce emissions and support sustainable transport objectives."
Related Links
< Back to news list