To help reduce carbon emissions in the town, the council has announced that it has selected Enterprise Car Club as its partner to deliver an eco-friendly car club for the area...
Car clubs offer car hire by the hour or by the day, enabling individuals and organisations access to a vehicle without the need for ownership and on an as-needed basis. This is a convenient, flexible and cost-effective solution for people who don’t want to incur the high costs associated with car ownership and provides another travel option for the residents of Watford.
All the vehicles in Watford that are located at convenient on-street locations will be fully electric. This means that they produce zero emissions and will help to improve air quality in the borough. The scheme will be further enhanced by the availability of low-emission vehicles on local developed sites.
The car club is a key scheme within the Transforming Travel in Watford 2021-2041 strategy, seeking to reduce private car ownership and improve air quality. Initially, there will be six vehicles for hire, which can be unlocked using a dedicated app or membership card. It will be launched in 2024 with a range of introductory offers to reduce the cost of membership and free driving credits.
Elected Mayor of Watford, Peter Taylor, said: “We are thrilled to be working with Enterprise Car Club to bring this exciting new initiative to Watford.
"By providing zero emission vehicles for ‘by the hour’ car hire in convenient locations across the town, we are confident that we can help reduce private car ownership and improve air quality. I’m confident that this car club will provide an easy and affordable way for people to access a car when they need it."
Councillor Ian Stotesbury, Portfolio Holder for Transport and Sustainability, said: “We're excited to move forward our plans to deliver a car club in the town. Our mission is to provide a sustainable, cost-effective alternative to car ownership, to lower costs for local residents and hopefully, for some, remove the need to own a car.
"This could help to tackle parking, provide greener travel options and help with costs. We're looking forward to working with Enterprise to make this car club a success.”
Dan Gursel, Managing Director of Enterprise Car Club said: “We are delighted to work with Watford Council to launch this service. A car club is a great option to meet changing travel patterns for residents, businesses and visitors, as well as helping reduce dependence on private car ownership*.
“Once someone has joined Enterprise Car Club, they have access to our complete network of around 1,500 vehicles in more than 220 towns, cities and communities across the UK. This means they can enjoy the convenience of shared mobility not only in Watford, but also when travelling elsewhere in the country.
“As well as having access to the fleet of car club vehicles, all members will be able to take advantage of Enterprise’s member benefits such as discounts on longer term rentals from Enterprise’s nationwide network of car rental branches.”
Enterprise Car Club is a market leader in delivering car clubs and for more information on the car club and how to join, please visit www.enterprisecarclub.co.uk
As the world continues to tackle climate change, initiatives like the Watford Car Club will play an increasingly important role in reducing carbon emissions and building sustainable communities. You can find out more about what the council is doing – including its target to net zero carbon town by 2030 or earlier at www.watford.gov.uk/sustainablewatford.
