CORPORATE CAR CLUB DRIVES COMMUTERS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Businesses which have signed up to one of the UK’s largest car clubs say the service has helped to cut the numbers of staff commuting to work by car. Streetcar for Business surveyed thousands of its corporate members and found that employees who use the service have reduced their reliance on a car for commuting by almost 50 per cent. They’ve increased their use of public transport by 27 per cent, cycling by 11 per cent and walking by nine per cent1, with private mileage and taxi use down by almost 20 per cent. The companies report an associated improvement in their environmental record and their ability to cut costs2 in this area. Streetcar’s corporate scheme offers a diverse fleet of BMWs, VW Golfs, Polos and Transporter vans and has seen membership double in the past year as organisations choose the service as an alternative to managing their own fleet or using traditional hire vehicles. Brett Akker, Streetcar’s co-founder said: “Our research has shown that employees will consider greener ways to commute if they have a flexible transport option available at work for external meetings or unexpected business travel. When businesses join the scheme, employees get immediate access to a dense network of fuel-efficient vehicles across ten cities, meaning they can pick up a car at short notice from over 1100 locations or opt for a blend of Streetcar and public transport. The scheme has helped companies reduce the costs associated with private mileage and taxi expenses, as well as providing a welcome boost to their environmental profile.3” Ronnie Pilcher works for Kendall Kingscott, a London and Bristol-based Building Surveyors and Architects which joined Streetcar earlier this year. Ronnie said: “Being able to use Streetcar for frequent site visits has allowed me and my colleagues to leave our cars at home and commute to work on public transport around 95 per cent of the time. Prior to this, it was as little as once or twice a week. The change away from private vehicle use reflects mine and the company’s commitment to finding more sustainable ways of operating.” Streetcar offers businesses 24/7 access to vehicles on an hourly basis from as little as £4.21 per hour4. As well as the green and financial savings, corporate use of car clubs has been shown to reduce the administration and responsibilities associated with in-house fleet maintenance and safety. Cynthia New works for Surrey County Council which replaced its pool car scheme with Streetcar in 2008. She said: “I need to make a number of external trips per week for meetings and home visits. Prior to the introduction of Streetcar, I commuted to work via car as I couldn’t always rely on the availability or reliability of the old pool car scheme. I now commute to work most days via public transport as I’m confident I’ll be able to get hold of a more environmentally friendly car from the club’s wide network and I save the Council money as I go.” The increased use of public transport among commuters, brought about by Streetcar, is also helping some organisations improve their parking issues. In the residential community, Streetcar has become an increasingly popular alternative to traditional car ownership and car rental. The scheme is represented in London, Brighton, Cambridge, Southampton, Guildford, Maidstone, Oxford, Bristol, Edinburgh and Glasgow. -Ends-

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