Streetcar Booming in Hammersmith and Fulham

Streetcar, the UK’s largest car club, continues to thrive in Hammersmith and Fulham as demand rockets.

The company, which hires VW Golfs, Polos and Transporter vans on a pay-as-you-go basis, has grown its membership by more than a third this year to over 3,000. The service currently has 45 vehicles in 35 locations, with plans to add a further 10 sites across the area in the next two months.

Commenting on the company’s success, Brett Akker, Streetcar co-founder, said: “When we first launched Streetcar, Hammersmith and Fulham was one of the first boroughs we identified as being perfect for car clubs and we are delighted that our initial confidence in the borough has been proved correct. There are few boroughs where the potential benefits of joining a car club can be so high – as the cost of car ownership increases and parking congestion in the borough worsens we are finding more and more people giving up their private cars in favour of our service.”

The scheme is simple to use. Members can reserve a car online (www.streetcar.co.uk) or over the phone (0845 644 8475), from just £3.95 per hour, and use smartcards to unlock the vehicle. At the end of the journey the car is returned to its dedicated Streetcar parking bay.

Hammersmith and Fulham-based Will Ibbotson, who regularly uses Streetcar, said: “I was delighted when Streetcar came to the area. Green1, easy and convenient, it’s always there when you need it: good, clever, service at a great price.”
-Ends-

Notes to Editor
1. Each Streetcar on the road replaces 26 privately-owned vehicles. This is because half of car club members choose not to buy (or replace) a car when they join the club. Streetcar has already taken over 20,000 privately-owned cars off the UK’s streets and is aiming to prevent the emission of around 50,000 tonnes of CO2 over the next two years. According to Carplus, in the UK, the average car owner drives 13,438 km per year, emitting 2.246 tonnes of carbon dioxide. After joining a car club, reducing mileage by 50% and using a newer, more efficient car, this figure would be reduced to 0.87 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. http://www.carplus.org.uk/carclubs/car_clubs_carbon_savings.htm

2. According to the RAC’s annual research, the cost of owning a car has rocketed by 19% since last year, with the average family spending £2435 to keep their vehicle on the road. Additional costs such as finance, insurance and depreciation bring this figure to £6133. Car owners typically save over £2,000 per year after joining.

• Case studies are available on request.

Well hello again!