Cardiff is home to Wales’ first official City Car Club which has launched in partnership with Cardiff Council.
As part of the council’s plans to keep Cardiff moving, reduce traffic congestion and lower carbon emissions, members of the car club will be able to hire cars by the hour, day, or as long as they like. The scheme is run by City Car Club, and is funded by Welsh Assembly Government under Cardiff’s sustainable travel city project.
There are currently ten low-emission cars located in designated parking bays across Cardiff including the city centre, Cathays, Pontcanna, Riverside, Roath and Cardiff Bay. With more planned in future months. Membership of the car club costs just £50 a year and includes fully comprehensive insurance. Members have 24/7 access to self-service cars which can be booked online or over the phone at short notice. A brand new Ford Fiesta (or equivalent) costs just £4.95 per hour with discounted rates for longer bookings – a 24 hour booking on the same car works out at only £1.65 an hour.
City Car Club take care of insuring, taxing, servicing and cleaning the cars, and members benefit from accessing a car when they need one, without paying for it when they don’t. Cardiff Council hopes the availability of City Cars will encourage people to consider giving up their own car, freeing up spaces and easing traffic congestion across the city.
Executive Member for Traffic and Transport, Cllr Delme Bowen, said: “I am thrilled we are launching City Car Club in the capital. This is another important element to keeping Cardiff moving. By making cars available to hire by the hour, we are giving people a real alternative to the need for private car ownership.
“Studies have shown that the provision of just one car club space has the potential to take away the need for up to 25 privately owned vehicles. It’s clear the car club will greatly contribute to our sustainable travel aims.”
City Car Club’s Managing Director, James Finlayson, said: “We are delighted to bring City Car Club to Wales. We’ve been inundated with requests to launch here, and it’s great to finally be operating in Cardiff. We are sure that individuals and businesses alike will enjoy using our service and benefit from the financial and environmental rewards that come with being a member of a car club”.
