Date: 10/02/2012
The Mearns Car Club
This exciting new project is being spearheaded by MAP in association with CARPLUS, a charity working with Transport Scotland to roll out a programme called Developing Community Car Clubs in Scotland. The project was identified as part of a MAP review of Transport undertaken in 2011. This review originated from a Kincardine and Mearns Regeneration Priority Area questionnaire carried out in 2010.
The aim of the project is to change the way people think about using cars. This involves setting up a pilot Car Club which will see two vehicles located in a Mearns Community, from Inverbervie to St Cyrus or across the Garvock to Laurencekirk, where they will be available for members to hire. There’s no investment required by members just a one off administration fee of £25. Members pay £5 per month by standing order which is redeemable against their charges for use of the vehicles. This cost includes insurance (£250 excess if over 21, £500 excess if under 21)
The car hire rates vary depending on which vehicle is booked but start at £3.50 per hour plus a 20p per mile mileage charge and minimum hire is just 30 minutes. Rates cover everything including fuel as cars come with their own fuel card for topping up at garages on route.
The 2 pilot cars will consist of a seven seater vehicle, ideal for large families or community groups to hire and a small hatch back for everyday use.
Members will receive a smart card which will allow them to access the vehicle in its designated parking place in the community after they have made a booking either online or by phone. The car computer automatically relays the driver’s mileage and time used back to the administration centre and a monthly statement for its use is despatched to the driver’s home.
If successful the scheme will be expanded and may eventually see cars located in many of the main Mearns communities. New schemes are currently being set up in Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Members are also entitled to access cars in other Carplus schemes all over Britain. Ideal for holidays
In order to ensure the project proceeds we need to identify the level of interest to access funding to set up the Car Club. Ideally we’d like to recruit 15-20 members for the pilot project. At the moment we are undecided where to locate the first pair of cars however they will be located in the community which shows the most interest.
A survey to ascertain the levels of interest in using a Car Club is now available online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MearnsCarClub or via a leaflet version available from Libraries and Community Centers in the area.
There is no obligation to join by taking the survey, it simply helps us gauge interest which will demonstrate to the funders that the project will be viable. Membership is open to individual households (who can register more than one driver) as well as local businesses and community groups. We will be holding an event locally for those who have filled out surveys to attend and find out more.
You can find out more about the benefits of joining a Car Club, including a nifty tool to see how much your car costs you each year and what you could save, clicking our partners link here www.carplus.org.uk/car-clubs/benefits/
Please circulate this information to all your contacts in the South Mearns area.
Tony Archer
Transport Development Worker
Mearns Area Partnership
44 High Street
Laurencekirk
AB30 1AB
Tel: 07788949267
Email:
www.Mearnsareapartnership.org.uk
More information about Car Clubs can be found through the Carplus website
www.carplus.org.uk