Waltham Forest Council has joined forces with Streetcar, the UK’s leading car club operator, to provide a network of car clubs across the borough for the benefit of all residents and businesses. There are now a total of seventeen on-street car club bays in Waltham Forest and it is planned that more will be added in the future to meet growing demand.
What are car clubs?
Car clubs provide access to pay-as-you-go cars when needed, for as little or as long as is required. Users just book it, drive it and return it.
Membership of a car club is not suitable for all people, but if you don’t use a car everyday it can prove an attractive alternative to car ownership or owning a second car.
How do they work?
Most people aged 19 and over who have held a full driving licence for at least 12 months are eligible to join a car club.
- Join with a car club operator and receive a smart card
- Book a car online or by phone
- Unlock a car, parked at a designated bay, using your smart card
- Drive for as long as you’ve booked it for
- Return the car to its designated parking bay when finished
- Pay-as-you-go, with payment taken from your account
What are the benefits?
- Access to a car when you want it and where you need it
- Costs around £5 per hour, including 30 miles worth of petrol per day
- No car maintenance, servicing or cleaning
- Fewer cars on the road, with one car club car potentially replacing up to 20 private cars
- New, more fuel efficient cars mean less CO² emissions and pollution
- Research has shown that car club members tend to drive less and walk, cycle and travel by public transport more
How much does it cost?
If you drive less than around 6,000 miles per year, a car club could save you up to £3,500 per year. The cost of running your own car, when taking into account the cost of tax, MOT, fuel, insurance, servicing, repairs, depreciation and parking, can easily amount to over £100 per week!
For use of a car you will be charged:
- An annual fee, which for Streetcar is currently £59.50
- Around £5 per hour depending on type of car, with discounts for longer periods
- Around 25p for each additional mile after 30 miles
Where are the car clubs located?
A total of seventeen on-street car club bays can be found across the borough. See a map of the locations (1MB PDF file)
In addition, a van can be found in a designated parking bay within Alpha Business Park, off South Grove, Walthamstow. To find your nearest car club bay enter your postcode into the National Car Club website.
It is important that car club members know exactly where to pick up a car from, and that the bay is available 24 hours a day. For this reason the bays are enforced as ‘car club only’ and only car club vehicles are permitted to park within them. Parking an unauthorised vehicle within them could result in a Penalty Charge Notice being issued and the vehicle being removed.
Contact us
Sustainable Communities
Environment and Regeneration
Waltham Forest Council
Sycamore House
Forest Road
London E17 4JF
Tel 020 8496 3000
Email wfdirect@walthamforest.gov.uk
