Are Car Share Schemes Any Good?

Trying to find somewhere to park in Bedminster’s car-clogged streets can be a bit of a nightmare … at least for those of us who aren’t keen on double parking in bus stops.

And when you add the costs of taxing, insuring and maintaining a car – not to mention the cost of fuel – it’s no wonder that car share schemes are becoming increasingly popular.

This week is Liftshare Week, which promotes the benefits of sharing your journey with someone who’s going the same way; click on their website to find out whether there’s anyone nearby you can grab a lift with. Registration is free.

If liftsharing doesn’t suit you, another way to reduce costs and help the environment is to register with a local car share scheme.

A scheme that has been running successfully in BS3 for some time now is City Car Club. Its cars are parked at six bays in and around Bedminster: Oxford Street and Hill Avenue in Totterdown; Addison Road in Windmill Hill; The Robinson Building and Cromwell Street in Bedminster, and Milford Street in Southville.  

The cars are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can be booked (in advance or at the last minute) by the hour, the day or for as long as you want.

Urbis, the developer of The Robinson Building, says it is a firm supporter of the City Car Club scheme, providing free membership of the scheme to residents without a designated parking space, and providing the City Car Club bay so that local residents can benefit as well.

Have you used these or any other car-share schemes? Does the idea appeal to you or not?

I think public transport in Bristol leaves a lot to be desired.  It’s very expensive and poorly integrated for a start, so I walk whenever possible and drive when it’s not, but I’m wondering if car share schemes might be the answer – what do you think?