Londoners are adopting ‘low car’ lifestyles

Increasing use of car clubs in London has helped take up to 100,000 private vehicles off the streets, a new report has revealed. Car club membership in London has soared by 125% since before the pandemic, served by just over 3,500 vehicles.

The annual report by the national shared transport charity Collaborative Mobility (CoMoUK) surveyed 3,000 members in London about their use of car clubs and drew on data from all car club operators.

The charity found that car clubs saved money, reduced congestion and even encouraged members to take part in physical activity like cycling and walking.

The report also revealed:

• 70% used a car between one and five times last year, embracing a “low-car lifestyle”

• 72% of those who decreased their car ownership said they had saved money compared to owning or leasing their own car

• 24% of members with a “constraining health condition” would not have been able to make their most recent journey were it not for car clubs

• 15% of London’s car club cars are electric, compared to under 2% of private cars in the UK which are electric

• more than half would have used taxis or hired a car were it not for a car club

• a third of members cycled once in the last week, compared to 18% of all Londoners.

Each car club vehicle in London is now estimated to take 29 private cars off the road, according to analysis within the report. That is the equivalent of more than 100,000 cars in the city which, if parked side-byside, would occupy the space of 162 football pitches.

CoMoUK is the national rain gardens alongside cycle lanes. “There are lots of opportunities for SuDS on residential streets.”

After implementation, it is important that green infrastructure is properly maintained, especially in the first few years. “That’s why community buy-in is so important,” said Inman. “You need to engage with local people and co-design with them.”

Good maintenance also requires a multi-disciplinary approach involving different council departments, Inman believes. “You need to speak to your drainage engineers,” she told delegates. “Talk to them –they are knowledgeable people. You need to know what will work and what won’t.”

Another way of reducing surface run-off is through the use of more permeable “grey infrastructure”, said Inman. This could be used on cycle lanes and in parking bays, she suggested.

Surplus parking spaces could be replaced with green infrastructure such as parklets on residential streets, said Inman. “Is all that parking space really needed? How many of those parking spaces are in use at the end of the working day? What people say happens and what is really the case don’t always match up.” charity dedicated to the public benefit of shared transport and it works across the car share, bike share, lift share, e-scooter and flexible bus sectors.

Richard Dilks, chief executive of CoMoUK, said: “Car clubs across London have increased in popularity and are making a big difference to people’s lives and the environment. Our report shows each car takes 29 private vehicles off the road, reducing congestion and cutting pollution.

“Being a member of a car club can also bring a range of other benefits. Members are more likely to walk and cycle, they save money and feel like they’re making a positive difference to the planet.

“Car clubs work for members and they work for London, helping to deliver on the Mayor’s Transport Strategy goals. And if the UK is to meet its ambitious net zero targets, car clubs will have an increasingly important part to play.”