'Car sharing' scheme is to be launched in Newcastle

Feb 25 2009 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal

A GREEN transport revolution which also aims to cut the cost of owning a car will be launched in Newcastle next month after council bosses awarded a seven-year contract to a North East firm.

The pay-as-you-go system will see cars parked at various spots around the city which can be accessed with a swipe card and used on demand for as little as half an hour.

Durham-based Option C, which won the contract with Newcastle City Council, will initially introduce six cars on to the city’s streets and within three years aims to have 30 vehicles on Newcastle’s roads.

The not-for-profit group will charge £25 to become a member of the scheme and then £4-an-hour plus 15p for fuel to use one of its new Ford Fiestas.

Although the deal between Option C and the council has no cash value, the Durham company will be given free access to designated parking bays across the city.

Option C currently operates the same scheme in Durham, Chester-le-Street and Wylam, although Newcastle is expected to become home to its biggest fleet of vehicles.

The car club firm has seen more than 50 members sign up to use its fleet of four cars in Durham and is now planning a roll out of the scheme across other cities in the North as it looks to create a network throughout the region.

Option C director Paul Balmont said: “We want to encourage people to use cars less and Newcastle has huge potential for a car club. It works best in areas where congestion is a problem and there’s also potential for us to work with employers as well and we could give them exclusive of our cars’ use during office hours.

“We want to develop a network of these car clubs across the region so if you were getting the train from Middlesbrough to Newcastle there could be a car waiting for you at the station.”

The launch of Newcastle’s car club comes as part of the new ‘Smarter Choices’ awareness campaign run by the council which starts this week.

The campaign aims to encourage people in Tyne and Wear to use more sustainable modes of transport such as car sharing or the Metro.