Rural Car Clubs

Rural Car Clubs

Rural Car ClubsThe Countryside Agency has been supporting pilot car clubs in rural areas for the lastthree years. This leaflet sets out the interim findings and emerging lessons from thepilots, so that other car clubs, rural communities and funding organisations canbenefit from their early experience.

What is a car club?

A car club is a pool of cars for the use of local people. Members of the

club can hire the vehicles, as and when they need, from an hour to a

weekend, or longer. It gives members the flexibility of using a car for

private or business journeys, without the costs or worry of owning or

maintaining one.

If there are people in a community who:

● only use a car occasionally and perhaps cannot justify the expense

of owning one;

● are thinking about getting a second car or giving up a second car

but are concerned about making certain journeys;

● find a lift sharing scheme, that is dependent on others, not

suitable,

then a local car club, with access to a range of vehicles, may be the answer.

How does a car club work?

Each car club either owns or leases cars that are then made available to

their local community for short-term use.The club covers the cost of

the insurance, tax and servicing of the vehicles. Members usually pay an

annual fee to join the club and then pay per hour to hire a vehicle,

when required.There is also a mileage charge, but fuel is included in

the cost of the hire. Bookings are made via the Internet or over the

telephone. Car club vehicles are usually stationed at convenient or

highly visible locations within easy reach of a large section of the

community and are accessed via key safes or individual smart cards.

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What role can car clubs play in rural areas?

Emerging evidence from rural car clubs is showing that projects can

help to deliver a number of benefits in a local area including:

● creating access to a vehicle for those without a car and those

households where a second vehicle may be desirable but is not

affordable;

● increasing use of public transport;

● reducing private car use and ownership;

● bringing people from across the community together, who may

not otherwise meet.

Car clubs can make an important contribution to rural accessibility.

They help to reduce social exclusion by enabling members to make

journeys that would be difficult using existing public transport and

reduce the reliance on the private car. Car clubs can also encourage the

use of public transport, where services are available, and increase the

use of local services and facilities. The Countryside Agency has an

interest in understanding how car clubs can be integrated into public

transport provision in rural areas.

What is the Countryside Agency’s role in rural car clubs?

The Rural White Paper (2000) committed the Countryside Agency to

develop and test the concept of rural car clubs in England. Since 2001,

the Countryside Agency, Carplus, Smartmoves and Sustrans have been

working in partnership to develop and deliver a programme of rural car

club projects, each with their own unique features, to demonstrate a

variety of scenarios. Clubs were selected on the basis of the

development of their project partnership, the typology of the local area

(eg. rural, market town), the links with other transport projects and the

size of the community. Eight projects are now established in two target

regions, the South West and Yorkshire and Humber, and the final results

from these pilots will be reported during the spring of 2005.

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Rural Car Clubs

How were the rural car club demonstration projects set up?

The rural car club demonstration projects were established in four key

phases and the flow chart below describes the process.

Initial interest

Local organisations made contact with Carplus and explored thepossibilities of developing a car club in their area.

Feasibility study

The feasibility study examined in more detail the potential for a carclub in a local area. Each study varied according to localcircumstances but typically covered the following:

● Interest in the project – surveys, initial marketing and publicity.In some cases this stage also included meetings and contact withlocal employers.

● Contact and discussions with potential stakeholders and projectpartners.

● Key lessons and issues from other projects which could besignificant for the development of the project.

● Exploration of the potential area for the club to cover, togetherwith possible management structures and ideas for developingcar stations.

● Links, partnerships or integration with other projects eg. community transport.

● Suggestions for potential funding sources.

Project inception

● Preparation of implementation plan and business plan.● Establishment of the management arrangements or, if necessary,

the establishment of a new organisation to take on themanagement of the car club.

● Building partnerships and establishing a steering group of key stakeholders.

● Preparing and submitting funding applications.● Recruitment of the car club project worker.● On-going marketing and publicity building on the marketing

from the feasibility study.● Finding car stations for car club vehicles.● Sourcing car club vehicles.● Selecting and ordering office equipment and software for

taking bookings.● Arranging car club launch event.

Operational project

It should be noted that, inorder to establish thedemonstrations and maximizethe learning from eachproject, it was necessary tocomplete each phase of theproject development processdetailed here.

To ensure that the conceptwas tested in areas where theproject was likely to succeed,it was necessary to undertakea feasibility stage.

In the future, as more is learntabout rural car clubs, it maynot be necessary to completeall the stages listed here.

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Where are the demonstration projects?

13 projects were accepted into the demonstration programme.The

projects ranged considerably in their location, size of community,

management structure and current status. Below is a table, which sets

out these details and the name and location of each project. Further

details about the key elements and features of each club can be found

later in this report.

Project name Project Operational Status of Number ofand location development management the project members

lead body structure (at the end of March 2004)

MoorcarAshburton, Devon Community Community Operational 27

Co-op (Sept 2002)

A2B Local authority Local authority Operational 16Bradford on Avon, transport project (Nov 2002)Wiltshire Club operator –

Smartmoves.

Our Car Your Car Voluntary sector Not-for-profit Operational 19Colne Valley, company – (March 2003)Yorkshire community rail

partnership

Cornwall Co-Cars Local authority Local authority Operational 1St Denis, China transport project (March 2003)Clays, Cornwall

Stroud Valleys, Voluntary sector Car club Operational 25Stroud, Glos. association (June 2003)

Hourcar Voluntary sector Local voluntary Operational 8Hebden Bridge, trust (Jan 2004)West Yorkshire

Endeavour Voluntary sector Community Operation Whitby, transport project expectedNorth Yorkshire September 2004

Gocars Voluntary sector Community Operation Bentham District, transport project expectedNorth Yorkshire August 2004

Richmondshire Voluntary sector Project under local Operation North Yorkshire development trust expected

umbrella late 2004

Plymouth Travel to Local authority This project is being taken forward outside work area, Devon the rural programme.

Holbeach, Local authority This project did not pass beyond the feasibility stage.Lincolnshire

North West Durham Local authority This project did not pass beyond the feasibility stage.

Windermere, Local authority This project did not pass beyond the feasibility stage.Cumbria

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Rural Car Clubs

Why did some of the projects not pass beyond the

feasibility stage?

Although three projects were not developed, the feasibility work

undertaken in Durham, Lincolnshire and Cumbria has been particularly

important in helping us to learn key lessons about what is needed to

establish a rural car club. Local factors, not the typology of the local

area, were the reasons these clubs did not progress. There is no

evidence that car clubs would not be successful in similar rural areas.

Listed below are the reasons these three projects were chosen to be

demonstrations and the principal reasons why each club did not

continue past the feasibility stage

The reasons these projects were chosen as demonstrations

Windermere ● Seasonal congestion problems in the town.

● Fairly good public transport links to surrounding villages.

Holbeach ● This project was seen as complementary to the recently established Call Connect

Plus demand responsive bus service and would fill in the gaps.

● The local authority was also planning to use and insure a vehicle from their fleet.

North West Durham ● The local authority was establishing a Travel Response Centre in the local area and

it was felt that a car club would complement this service.

● The club would also complement a number of existing transport services.

The reasons why these projects did not pass beyond the feasibility stage

The need for Projects that are most successful have a local individual(s) supporting and

a local champion promoting the project in the local community.This was not the case in Windermere

and Durham and it was therefore more difficult to recruit possible members.

The Holbeach project initially had a worker who acted as a local champion but the

short-term nature of this person’s contract did not allow enough time to fully

establish the project.

Links with Public In Holbeach, the additional feasibility research suggested that the new demand

Transport Services responsive bus service was a more appropriate solution for this area. In Durham, the

proposed car club area had high levels of unemployment and deprivation and there

was already good public transport with low fares and a number of taxi firms also

charging low prices. People did not, therefore, see the need for the car club.

In Windermere, there were high levels of affluence and private car ownership.

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What lessons have been learnt from the demonstrations?

1. The importance of a local championMany of the clubs in this demonstration programme started life becauseof local support and commitment to see the idea work in practice. Localpeople (or a person) who often already had very strong links withinthe community used their networks and local events to act as advocatesfor the idea and also to encourage people to join the club.The work ofthese people has been shown to be central to the project actuallybecoming operational.In areas where projects have been developed without local champions,there have been difficulties in establishing interest in the idea. Pleaserefer to the information above about the projects in Lincolnshire,Cumbria and Durham.

2. Marketing and recruitmentIn most cases the development of the pilots took over 18 months fromthe initial idea to an operational club. During this time marketing andawareness raising events within the local communities were essential toraise people’s awareness of the project. People have established patternsof transport use, whether or not they have access to a private car, andthere is a reluctance to change this pattern.The demonstration programme found that it took time to convert initialinterest into membership of a club and that continued marketing wasessential to ensure that the idea stays in a person’s mind. It was alsoessential to use a variety of different marketing approaches to target asmany different people as possible within each community. Some of themarketing ideas used by the rural car clubs managers are listed below:

3. Integrated transport This demonstration programme has shown that it is beneficial tointegrate car clubs within existing transport frameworks. If membersare to manage without the use of a private car, it is essential that theycan access the vehicles at the car station by another mode of travel. It isalso essential that they can access local services and make other journeyseither on foot or cycle in the local area or can access urban centres bypublic transport.

Marketing ideas used by the rural car club projectsUse of the local media – Radio,TV and Leaflets in public places – local newspaper interviews supermarkets, librariesAdvertising and displays on car club Leaflet handouts in vehicles and at car stations the streetNewsletters Special offers – reduced

membership feesLeaflet drops to households in the area Stands at local events and

demonstrations of the in-car technology

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Rural Car Clubs

The Features of each rural car club demonstration project

A2B Car Club – Bradford on Avon,Wiltshire

www.a-2-b.com

A2B car club is part of the A2B project, a local not-for-profit project,

which promotes sustainable transport options and which includes a

rideshare scheme and a2b essentials, a travel planning service.The

service area of the club is centered on Bradford on Avon, which

includes 9000 residents; there is also a secondary area, which includes

some villages within a three-mile radius of the town with a population

of about 3000 residents. The club has reciprocal membership links with

the car clubs in Bath and Bristol and is the only rural car club to be

managed by a national urban operator.The club started life through a

rural bus challenge grant and purchased 3 cars as new; they operate

from a small travel advice centre in the centre of Bradford on Avon.

Gocars – Bentham, North Yorkshire

The community transport arm of the Bentham Development Trust runs

the Gocars car club.The project due to become operational in Summer

2004 will launch with 3 cars and will form links with the other

community transport projects in Bentham.

Our Car Your Car – Colne Valley,West Yorkshire

www.ourcaryourcar.co.uk

Our Car Your Car was the first rural car club in the North of England

and is based in the Upper Colne Valley near Huddersfield.The service

area of the club is Slaithwaite and Marsden with some members in

Meltham and Holmfirth.The Penistone Line Partnership, a community

rail organisation, manages the project. The club currently has a diverse

membership including young families, retired people and corporate

members.The area is well served by public transport, including buses

and trains.The members’ steering group make the non-financial policy

decisions for the club and they also help out at marketing events.

Following requests from residents, the club is now looking to expand

and to include car stations at Meltham, Penistone and Holmfirth.

Hourcar - Hebden Bridge,West Yorkshire

www.hourcar.co.uk

Hourcar was launched in January 2004 and by March 2004 had 8

members, of which 6 are personal and 2 are corporate members.The

project was established by the Ground Floor Project a charity that

specialises in conservation and community initiatives in the Calder

Valley.The project owns two second-hand vehicles, which are up to two

years old and are the only UK car club to operate using the green fuel

bio diesel.

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Stroud Valleys Car Club

The Stroud Valleys Car Club in Gloucestershire was launched in June

2003 and by March 2004 had 25 members.The service area of the

club, which includes some small villages, has a population of about

9,500.The club initially developed as a partnership between Vision 21,

Gloucestershire County Council, Stroud District Council, Carplus,

Smartmoves and Stroud Co-housing.The initial flux of membership was

in part due to the club being centered around a co-housing scheme

being developed in the uplands area of Stroud.

Endeavour Car Club – Whitby, North Yorkshire

This project has been formed in partnership with Good Neighbours

Community Transport (GNCT), an organisation that currently operates a

bus brokerage and a social car scheme.The project is due to become

operational in September 2004 and the service area of the club will

have a population of about 20,000 people. It is intended that the club

will be mutually beneficial to the existing projects by increasing

voluntary driver recruitment for those who do not have a car or do not

wish to use their own vehicle.

Moorcar – Ashburton, Devon

www.moorcar.co.uk

Moorcar became the first rural car club in England, and is based in a

small market town at Ashburton in Devon within the Dartmoor

National Park.The project is a stand-alone club set up as a not-for-profit

community project.

Cornwall Co-Cars, China Clays, Cornwall

www.co-cars.co.uk

This project started life as a one-year action research project, which was

completed in March 2004 and was based in St Denis and St Stephen in

the China Clay area of Cornwall. The club is part of the wider Clay

Transport Solutions (CTS) project aimed at tackling transport problems

in the China Clay area.This area suffers from high levels of

unemployment and there are many people on low incomes and as a

result of this CTS have been able to set up an innovative partnership

with Jobcentre Plus and the Surestart programme. This partnership

provides support, so that people in receipt of benefits can access the car

club more easily.

During Spring 2004 the project moved to the neighboring town of St

Austell, where it was hoped that the larger population will help to

secure the long-term future of the project. The club is also intending to

look at tourism issues by allowing members of other UK car clubs

access to their car vehicles when they go to the area by public transport.

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Rural Car Clubs

What will happen in the future?

We are working with the rural car club projects until March 2005,

when the demonstration programme will be complete.Transport and

Travel Research (TTR) are evaluating and assessing the work of the

programme and they will produce a final report at the end of the

programme.

We are also working with the pilot projects to secure their future

beyond the life of the demonstration work.

Printed Publications and Information

Meaton, J and Low, C. (2003) Car Club Development:The Role of

Local Champions. World Transport Policy and Practice 9(3) 32-40.

Bonsall, P (2002) Car Share and Car Clubs: Potential Impacts.

DTLR and Motorists Forum Final Report.

Institute of Transport Studies, University of Leeds.

Department for Transport (2002) Promoting car sharing and car

clubs in rural areas: government response.

Report available from direct the DfT or on their website at

www.dft.gov.uk

Details of latest news, articles and publications are available on the

Carplus website as detailed opposite.

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Where can I get more information about car clubs?

The Countryside Agency

The Countryside Agency is the statutory body working to conserve

and enhance England’s countryside; to spread social and economic

opportunity for the people who live there; and to help everyone

wherever they live to enjoy the countryside.

The Transport Team can be contacted in London on 0207 340 2900

or visit the website at www.countryside.gov.uk

Carplus

Carplus is a registered charity that promotes responsible car use. As part

of this remit they work with communities, local authorities and partner

associations to encourage and support the development and growth of

car clubs across the country.They offer a range of services from advice

and information, through to the provision of cars and insurance.

Carplus can be contacted at their head office in Leeds on

0113 234 9299 or visit their website at www.carplus.org.uk

Smartmoves

Established in 1998, Smart Moves is the largest car club operator in

the UK.They currently operate car clubs in Edinburgh, Bristol, London

and Brighton and Hove. Smart Moves also provides technical support

for smaller independent clubs, including Internet and phone booking,

help desk facilities, telematics and smart card access.

They can be contacted at their head office in Huddersfield on

01484 483061 or visit their website at www.smartmoves.co.uk

WhizzGo

WhizzGo is a UK company that works with local authorities, developers

and businesses to provide shared-use cars.

They can be contacted at their head office in Leeds on 0870 446 6000

or visit their website at www.WhizzGo.co.uk

Streetcar

Streetcar is a UK based company with their headquarters in London.

They started their first shared car service in London in 2004.

They can be contacted at their headquarters on 0207 738 3331

or visit their website at www.mystreetcar.co.uk

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John Dower House, Crescent Place

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 3RA

Tel: 01242 521381

Fax: 01242 584270

www.countryside.gov.uk

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