SCHEME: Car club to benefit 13,500 students
Imperial College London are introducing a new car club scheme allowing more than 3,000 staff and 13,500 students to rent a vehicle by the hour.
Car rental company Hertz have provided low-emission and electric vehicles for the scheme, in attempts to reduce car congestion on campus through shared vehicle use.
Successfully introduced to the college’s South Kensington and Ascot campuses, the Imperial College Car Club is part of the university’s drive to reduce their carbon footprint.
Michel Taride, Group President of Hertz International, said: “We’re delighted to offer the Hertz 24/7 network to Imperial College London so that students and staff alike can benefit from simple, convenient and affordable short-term rentals.
“With its low emission and electric vehicles, Hertz 24/7 is a popular option for organizations looking to reduce both travel costs and CO2 emissions, and it’s a pleasure to welcome Imperial College to the scheme.”
Four low or zero-emission vehicles are now in use across the college’s campuses.
Three cars – a Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi, an automatic Kia Rio and an all-electric Mitsubishi IMiEV – are at the South Kensington campus.
An additional Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion 1.6 TDCi can be found at the Silwood Park campus in Ascot.
Further parking bays have also been allocated across the college’s sites in Royal Brompton, Hammersmith, Charing Cross and St Mary’s, Paddington.
Members can book the vehicles online, by phone, or using a smartphone app and RFID technology allows keyless entry to any vehicle in the fleet.
While on the road, members have 24/7 one-touch access to the Member Care Centre through the in-car, hands-free telecom technology.
An Imperial College London spokesperson added: “Using Hertz 24/7 vehicles as our employee pool cars is reducing our reliance on taxis and personal vehicles for business trips between campuses.
“Membership is free and is available to staff and students, including our 300 clubs and societies, for private use outside working hours, providing a convenient and cost-effective alternative to traditional car use.”
