Photo from Co-Wheels website

Co-Wheels Go Hastings

Transition Town Hastings recently promoted Co-Wheels, the only independently owned national car club, providing low emission, hybrid and electric cars on a pay-as-you-go basis for organisations and communities across the UK. Local resident, Barbara Rogers, is involved with the Hastings branch of Co-Wheels and HOT’s Zelly Restorick asked her some questions about how the system works.

I heard about Co-Wheels via Transition Town Hastings – is there a connection?

Transition Town Hastings are very keen to get a car club into the town but this is an independent initiative by the co-operative, Co-Wheels, who already have cars in Tunbridge Wells and Lewes as well as other towns around the country.

What is Co-Wheels? Sounds like such a good scheme.

If you have a driving licence but no car, joining this car club will give you access to cars as and when you need one.

How will it benefit people in Hastings and St Leonards?

Drivers will save quite a lot by not buying, insuring and servicing their own car. It will also offer people a way to get to places not served by public transport, to move goods around, and to take other people where they need or want to go.

What are the benefits of Co-Wheels for the wider world?

It will reduce car ownership in the town, which is already suffering from excessive car traffic and parking problems. Studies show that people use club cars only when they really need them, as opposed to using their own car for trips that could be done on foot, by bike or on public transport. It allows people to share resources, and promotes co-operation.

How do people find out about it? Get involved?

For an explanation of how the club works, go to the Co-Wheels website. To sign up locally or express an interest, go to Co-Wheels Hastings. If you sign up now (at £5 per month), this will be credited to your bookings.

Anything else not covered here?!

We hope the first car will be in place in Russell Street (just behind Hastings town centre) within 2-3 months. If there is enough use of this one, there could be cars in other parts of town in the future.

Also in: Energy Wise