Car Club for Penrith

Wednesday 7th December 2011: Transport theme discussion in Penrith

PACT is exploring the possibility of setting up a car share club in Penrith, allowing members to use a shared car on a 'pay as you go' basis.  Our feasibility study is funded by a Cumbria County Council Neighbourhood Forum grant.

Feasibility study now complete.
Although the report found that a car sharing club is not viable now for Penrith, it recommends looking at various low-risk alternatives

Please Take our car club survey.
For more information on what we're proposing, please watch the film and read the information below.

Penrith car share club introductory film

If you want to • Borrow a shared car, • Lease your car to the club or • Help set up and run the car club, please contact us - select 'Car club for Penrith'. Or take part in the discussion forum.  Click on the Car Club tag on the left to see what else is online here.

Powerpoint presentation explaining the car club - 9MB.

See the coverage of Penrith car share club in Eden Local in May 2011.

March 2011: PACT has successfully obtained a Cumbria County Council Neighbourhood Forum grant for £1000 for this feasibility project - the project will be started in April with completion on or before September 2011.

Background - The Opportunity

A Car Club is an organisation that owns cars that are shared by its members. People arrange in advance when they want to use a car, book it, and pay to use it.

The advantage is that members do not have to pay the whole cost of owning a car, but are able to use one when they need to. People are able to hire cars by the hour and can pick up the vehicle from convenient residential locations, exploiting the flexibility offered by smart card technology and online and mobile booking tools.

Each car club vehicle can replace between 8 and 20 private vehicles, relieving pressure on the roads and on residential on-street parking.

Project Proposal

PACT is seeking £1,000 in funding to conduct a feasibility study into the possibility of establishing a community car club in the Penrith area, and linking this with existing plans to develop a network of community car clubs throughout the Lake District.

Benefits / Deliverables

Research has shown that “pay-as-you-go car clubs reduce car use and support other sustainable travel initiatives by plugging gaps in journeys and promoting a shift in long term behaviour”. There would be benefits in the Penrith area for reducing congestion, increasing parking availability, and contributing to reducing carbon emissions through more effective travel.

The proposed project would serve as a major catalyst for increasing options for non-car travel by integrating occasional car use into the wider public and voluntary transport network. Once the project is established it would be entirely self-funding.

Projected Costs

£1,000 to conduct the initial feasibility study, map transport use in the immediate Penrith area and begin to identify and engage with prospective users of the scheme. This will be over the six month period.

Potential Partners

• Eden District Council
• Commonwheels
• Carplus
• Cumbria Sustainability Network
• Kendel and Staveley Car Club
• Community Transport Association
• Bakewell & Eyam Community Transport
• Eden Fellrunner Bus service

December 2010