STREETCAR HALVES RELIANCE ON CAR FOR COMMUTERS 29/07/2010, By By Press Association

BUSINESSES signed up to one of the UK’s largest car clubs have seen a drop in workers commuting by car of up to 50 per cent, new figures show.

Streetcar is one of several car-sharing clubs in the UK that allows members to make use of its vehicles on a pay-as-you-drive basis. The company's business arm, Streetcar for Business, surveyed thousands of its corporate members and found that employees who use the service had reduced their reliance on a car for commuting by almost 50 per cent.

27 per cent of users had increased their use of public transport, 11 per cent were cycling to work more often and nine per cent were more prepared to walk to the office.

“Our research has shown that employees will consider greener ways to commute if they have a flexible transport option available at work for external meetings or unexpected business travel," said Brett Akker, Streetcar’s co-founder.

"When businesses join the scheme, employees get immediate access to a dense network of fuel-efficient vehicles across ten cities, meaning they can pick up a car at short notice from over 1100 locations or opt for a blend of Streetcar and public transport. The scheme has helped companies reduce the costs associated with private mileage and taxi expenses, as well as providing a welcome boost to their environmental profile.”

Streetcar offers private and business users access to a range of BMWs, Volkswagen Golfs, Volkswagen Polos and Transporter vans on an hourly basis with costs starting at £4.21 per hour.