Reading Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary campaigner and Environment spokesperson on the Council, Gareth Epps, is pressing for Reading Borough Council to make it easier to set up a full-scale car club scheme, as it emerges that the company CarPlus is workking to reopen the service based at Cemetery Junction which closed down earlier in January.

Gareth has asked the Council to look at a number of ways to make it easier for car clubs to be run in Reading, including:

• Provision of car club bases on all new town centre developments, in part to reduce the demand for parking;
• Providing residents’ parking permits for car club vehicles, something not provided for by current policy;
• Investigating making the Council’s car pool available as part of the car club fleet, as pioneered in Bristol under Liberal Democrat control.

Gareth will discuss these at a meeting with Council officials in February. This follows on from previous campaigning and pressure on the Council to promote car clubs. Gareth has also been in touch with CarPlus to encourage them and offer help. CarPlus have held meetings with car club users and the Council, and hope to be able to offer a service from the end of February.

Car clubs offer a number of advantages:

1. Reduced car mileage: between 25% and 45% reduction for individual drivers.
2. Each car club car typically replaces 6 private cars.
3. Typical car and typical useage: cost saving over fully owned vehicle up to £2000 per year.

Gareth says:

“Car Clubs are a win-win-win for people in built-up areas. They let people have a car when they need them, saving car club members money, saving unnecessary road trips and freeing up space on our streets and roads. It is high time Reading’s Labour Council took serious action to encourage them – if they are committed to taking real green action.”

Editor’s Notes

The contact at Carplus looking to set up a facility in Reading is Philip Igoe. He can be contacted on 0113 234 9299 or by email at Philip Igoe. CarPlus’ website is at Carplus