Buckinghamshire New University launches Buckinghamshire’s first ‘green’ car club

Bucks New University launches Buckinghamshire’s first ‘green’ car club

Buckinghamshire New University has teamed up with the not-for-profit charity, Commonwheels, to launch an environmentally-concerned, on-campus car club, which will help reduce carbon emissions and improve transportation options for employees and students.

The Bucks New University club is the only car club of its kind in Buckinghamshire, and the University is the first institution to work with Commonwheels. The University has launched the club with two brand new low-emission Volkswagen Polos, supplied by Citygate Volkswagen, High Wycombe, which achieve 70 miles per gallon, and plans to expand the fleet as awareness and popularity of the scheme increases.

The car club forms part of Bucks New University’s travel plan, which is supported by Wycombe District Council. The objectives of the scheme are to encourage greater travel choice, to reduce single occupancy car journeys, and to discourage the need for second cars. The ultimate aim is to decrease carbon emissions, which these cause.

Dr Ruth Farwell, Vice Chancellor of Buckinghamshire New University commented at the launch of the scheme: “The car club will enable us to reduce the environmental impact of Bucks’ travel requirements and decrease the number of cars on the road. It will be of great benefit to students and employees, providing a more environmentally-friendly and affordable option to owning a car. As one of the first British universities to become involved in such a scheme, we hope that others will follow our lead and ultimately help to lower our collective carbon footprint.”

Cllr Hugh McCarthy, Wycombe District Council's Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Transportation, commented: "Bucks New University is leading by example and making a conscious effort to develop an effective green travel plan, which not only introduces new, alternative means of transport for their staff and students, but
could also go some way to reducing congestion in the town centre. This is yet another good example of a WDC partner doing their bit for the district’s commitment to reduce our carbon footprint."

Commonwheels is a Community Interest Company with the aim of establishing an accessible and affordable network of car clubs across the UK, through a combination of direct operations and through supporting individuals, community groups and other organisations to set up schemes in their locality. All the affiliated clubs will be able to use Commonwheels’ resources and will be integrated into a national network.

Philip Igoe, Chief Executive of Commonwheels, said: “Commonwheels is delighted by the launch of Buckinghamshire’s first green car club. By providing inexpensive access to efficient Commonwheels vehicles, the Bucks New University pay-as-you-drive scheme will enable members to save money and reduce their impact on the environment. Driving fewer miles in more efficient vehicles, means that each car club member in the UK typically saves 0.7 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. The financial savings are also considerable as the only cost of using the car is a small hire fee.”

The partnership with Commonwheels is distinctive as it enables any student aged 18 or over, who has held a full licence for a year, to hire the cars. This is different to most car hire companies whose policies are restricted to people aged 21 and over. Another novel feature of the Commonwheels scheme is that cars can be rented by the hour instead of the standard 24 hours period, enabling students and employees to use the cars as part of their everyday journeys.

The club operates a simple system. Between the hours of 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday, the two Bucks cars will be used for business use by University employees. At any time outside these hours, the cars will be based on the High Wycombe Campus and can be hired by employees and students aged 18+ for personal use.

The club is free to join, and employees and students can become members simply by applying on-line at www.commonwheels.org.uk, after which a licence check is completed and Smartcard issued, which is used to access the cars. The cars can then be booked on-line or by phone, at short notice.