‘TfL needs car club action plan’

UK CLOSURE OF CAR-SHARING FIRM ZIPCAR LEADS TO PLEA TO MAYOR

- By KUMAIL JAFFER

Every car club replaces 31 privately owned cars in London, the UK's shared transport charity, CoMo UK, said

(GETTY IMAGES)

TRANSPORT for London (TfL) is facing growing calls to establish a pan-London action plan to protect and promote car clubs following the UK closure of the world’s biggest car-sharing firm.

Zipcar, which is owned by US car rental group Avis Budget, said it would suspend operations at the end of the year subject to a consultation on possible redundancies.

The pay-as-you-go car-sharing company's decision comes amid Congestion Charge reforms in London, which will see a 20 per cent price increase to £18 and the end of the electric vehicle (EV) exemption from the levy. While Zipcar did not lay out the specific reasons for ceasing their UK operations, the firm has previously warned of the impact that the Congestion Charge changes would have.

In September, James Taylor, the general manager at ZipCar UK, told MPs that the removal of the 100 per cent EV discount could make car clubs “commercially unviable” in the capital.

He claimed car clubs are a “congestion reducing measure” in London and “therefore should be treated differently to the private car.”

The Mayor of London has previously cited car clubs as a crucial factor in “helping to reduce car ownership” in the city and said TfL “wants to see car clubs thrive”

Earlier this year, however, the London Assembly Transport Committee published a report suggesting TfL policies on car clubs have led to inconsistent provision across the capital and caused some operators to pull out entirely.

The document, entitled ‘Tfl’s Stalling Car Clubs; recommended that the Mayor and TfL recognise the important role of car clubs, work on a pan-London action plan for their provision and roll out an awareness campaign on the benefits.