LIVERPOOL is to re-launch a scrapped car hire scheme in a bid to offer a no-strings attached travelling option to city residents.
It says the the re-establishment of the Liverpool Car Club will offer the increasing number of people living, working and visiting the city centre a low carbon, low cost and more flexible way of getting around.
Vandalism
The idea is that the car club will offer vehicles for hire by the hour for by members 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with vehicles parked in convenient locations around the heart of the city.
Operators of the original scheme, City Car Club, pulled out of Liverpool in 2009. It blamed continued vandalism to its eight vehicles which escalated to such a level that repair bills were proving bigger than the day-to-day running cost for all 26 cars it ran in Manchester.
It also said that the repeated theft of designated spaces, by other motorists, meant users were getting tickets for leaving the vehicles parked elsewhere.
Now the council is searching for an operator for the scheme which it wants up and running by the end of the year.
Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, Councillor Tim Moore, said: “Our city centre is thriving, which means it’s busier than ever. We want to make sure travel is as easy and convenient as possible for people, whether they are attending business meetings, travelling from train and bus stations to their place of work or visiting our many attractions.
“I’m confident the Car Club will be a real success, and will build on the other work we are doing - including our cycle hire scheme – to build sustainable transport into everyday life in Liverpool. It will give more people access to a car, but at the same time will help reduce congestion and pollution by encouraging people to make shorter journeys by car.”
It is expected that the car club scheme, which typically sees vehicles hired out at under £5 an hour, will focus on short business trips; trips in conjunction with public transport; and trips made by city centre workers, residents, tourists and students.
The council says it hopes that the scheme will have a proportion of electric vehicles for hire and facilities for charging low-carbon vehicles.
The successful operator will be expected to initially run the car club for three years. The re-launched scheme will see the successful car club operator setting up 14 bays in the following four areas: - Moorfields (5 bays) - Old Hall Street (3 bays) - Brook Street (3 bays) - Preston Street (3 bays)
