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City car club proves a real Whizz of an idea

Ben Rooth
18/11/2008

A PAY-BY-THE-HOUR car club is motoring ahead with ambitious plans to dramatically increase the number of vehicles it operates in Manchester.

Established two years ago, WhizzGo now operates 21 cars from 12 locations across the city which can be hired for less than £5 an hour.

The company said today it intends to add 100 cars to this fleet by 2010 at collection points across Greater Manchester to cater for a rapid increase in demand.

It now has 700 members in Manchester - 60 per cent are corporate members, while 40pc live in the city centre.

The company has witnessed an unprecedented 40pc rise in its membership over the past three months.

WhizzGo's projections suggest its membership in Manchester will increase to almost 4,000 as the recession bites over the next year and car costs become increasingly unmanageable.

The company attributes its success in Manchester to the `forward-thinking' attitudes of city residents and businesses as well as the excellent relationship it has with Manchester city council.

The council provides on-street bays in convenient locations especially for the use of WhizzGo's customers. Liz Gray, area manager for WhizzGo in Manchester, said that an increasing number of customers were also using the vehicles as a `greener' alternative to owning their own cars.

She said: "Greater Manchester is the perfect location for WhizzGo, which is why we have such ambitious expansion plans for the future.

"Our close working relationship with Manchester city council means we can really work in partnership to create a sustainable future for Manchester's transport infrastructure." WhizzGo's hourly fee includes tax, insurance, petrol and breakdown cover.

Councillor Richard Cowell, executive member for the environment at Manchester city council, said: "We welcome any initiative that will make Manchester cleaner and greener.

"Car clubs provide the ease of driving a car on an `as and when' basis without adding unnecessarily to congestion or environmental damage."

WhizzGo operates pay-by-the-hour car clubs in 13 cities - including Leeds, London, Liverpool, Southampton, Brighton, York, Sheffield, Newcastle, Birmingham, Winchester, Belfast and St Albans.

Of the members who have joined the scheme over the past six months, 87pc cited the spiralling cost of fuel and associated motoring costs as their main reason for signing up.

WhizzGo's expansion comes as other operators move into the sector. Car rental giant Hertz has announced it will launch clubs in London, Paris and New York before Christmas.