Car sharing schemes in West Sussex promoted

Website www.westsussexcarshare.com is a free matching service for people who live, work and travel around the county, allowing people to share journeys and cut spending on travel, with some saving as much as £900 a year.

About 3,850 people now use the service, with 450 new members having joined in the last year.

Members have used shared journeys for work, university, festivals, football matches, shopping, and visiting friends.

Meanwhile car clubs in Horsham and Chichester, run in partnership with community interest company Co-Wheels, allow the public to hire cars from on-street locations from£4.50 an hour and 13p per mile.

The prices cover fuel costs and comprehensive insurance, so anyone who drives less than 8,000 miles a year will save themselves money.

In Horsham, members can hire:

- a Toyota Aygo in Brighton Road, a Toyota Yaris hybrid in North Street, near Horsham Railway Station, and a Toyota Aygo X Play in the Bishopric.

Thirty-five drivers have signed up to the Horsham Car Club.

In Chichester, members can hire: a Toyota Aygo in East Street, a Toyota Yaris hybrid in West Street, a Hyundai i30 in Litten Terrace (to be replaced by a Toyota Yaris hybrid from October 5), and a Hyundai i30 in Stirling Road (to be replaced by a Toyota Aygo from October 5).

Fifty-nine drivers are members of the Chichester Car Club.

To join visit www.co-wheels.co.uk

West Sussex County Council is promoting both schemes as part of European Mobility Week.

John O’Brien, WSCC’s cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “Traffic congestion is estimated to cost every business in West Sussex £29,000 a year.

“So innovative ideas such as the car share and car club schemes are something we’d love to see as many people as possible take up to help our busy roads, if unable to use public transport.

“If you are interested, and want to save yourself money on travel, please take a look at the websites to find out more.”

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