A CAR club launched in East Oxford to cut down on the number of vehicles on the streets has attracted 64 members in its first six weeks.

The car-sharing club was launched in November with 11 members, but that number has now risen to 64.

And since the first journey was made in a Commonwheels Car Club vehicle on November 23, the cars have been booked 120 times — about 20 bookings a week.

Scheme organiser Abi Johnson said: “The numbers are continuously rolling in at the moment as people learn of its existence.

“The membership covers a broad spectrum of age and ethnic groups, and I know there is at least one student member who has joined and thinks it is a great scheme.”

The club, which allows people to hire cars for as short a period as an hour and access them via Smart Cards, started with four cars and two more will be available to hire from this week. The fleet is made up of two Volkswagen Polo fuel-efficient Blue Motion cars, along with four ‘adopted’ former residents’ cars, including a Volkswagen Golf running on biodiesel.

Mrs Johnson said: “I’m really enjoying it.

“I feel hugely liberated by not being responsible for my car any more.

“It hasn’t caused me any problems — and I’ve got a two-year-old.

“I’m being much more efficient in the journeys I take. If I know I need to use the car, I will then do all the other jobs I need with a car too.”

Commonwheels, a national not-for-proft company providing support and funding for the East Oxford car club, is now talking to groups in Wolvercote and Headington about the possibility of expanding.

Mrs Johnson said she knew of people who were using the car club to get rid of a first or second car and of people who had previously had to hire a vehicle at commercial rates.

The hourly rate for car club cars, which have dedicated free parking spaces across East Oxford, is £4 for new vehicles, less for the adopted cars.

Dr Al Chisholm, 36, from Percy Street, has used the club twice so far to visit the recycling centre at Redbridge and for shopping.

She said: “I was fully expecting it to be full of glitches, but I have been really impressed by how slick and smooth it has been.

“It’s like the best of both worlds, access to a car, but without the hassle.”

l To find out about becoming a member visit commonwheels.org.uk or email info@commonwheels.org.uk fbardsley@oxfordmail.co.uk