Southwark Council offered free parking spaces to help lure car clubs to the borough
Car-sharing clubs are set to return to a South London borough following Zipcar’s departure last December. Southwark Council has announced three new partnerships with HiyaCar, Enterprise and Co-wheels, which are set to “make a huge difference” for residents, according to leader James McAsh.
The authority had previously offered Zipcar 200 free parking spaces last December in a bid to keep them, but the company chose to exit the entire UK market, citing cost pressures. Council bosses say car clubs play a vital role for residents because roughly 60 per cent of households do not own a car, so they are mostly used by people who need to drive occasionally.
The new car-sharing partnerships will start with HiyaCar, bringing 10 vehicles to Southwark, Enterprise, bringing an initial 15, and Co-wheels, bringing 5 vehicles. The cars will be in bays from London Bridge to Dulwich. Southwark Council offered free parking spaces to car clubs in a bid to encourage them to operate in the borough.
Demand will be monitored during this first phase before considering whether to increase the number of vehicles. Cllr James McAsh, Leader of Southwark Council, said: “I’m delighted to welcome car clubs back to Southwark – they make a huge difference to our residents.
“By helping to cut demand for private vehicle ownership, car clubs cut pollution, save money, and help create a great place to walk, wheel or cycle.
“We look forward to working with car clubs as we create better streets for all through our Streets for People plan.”
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