Car clubs seek support

Car Clubs

Car clubs operators are seeking financial assistance to see them through the Covid-19 pandemic, which has badly hit the sector. 

The London Borough of Richmond reported this month that operators have scaled back operations “and requested contractual relief”. 

Shared mobility charity CoMoUK has been discussing with Government whether there is a way to compensate local authorities that would allow them to, in turn, waive parking permit fees for car club operators. 

Car clubs have, meanwhile, introduced enhanced cleaning regimes to build public confidence in their product. 

Enterprise Car Club’s cleaning regime is understood to be the strictest. People making a booking must ensure that the vehicle is not booked in the subsequent 48 hours after the end of the hire. This enables Enterprise to fulfil its promise to clean vehicles between each rental. 

“You do not need to include the 48 hour buffer in your booking, rather you just need to ensure that this time exists before the next reservation,” explains the company’s website.

ZipCar has enhanced its cleaning regime. Its website also advises: “Members can help our car sharing community by bringing disinfectant wipes to wipe down the car for yourself and others, keeping their hands clean and using anti-bacterial hand gel before and after each trip.” And it adds: “You should only travel in a Zipcar with members of your household.”