The pilot followed a radical transport review by the council in early 2010 with the aim of implementing a fleet solution that would cut costs and ease parking pressures as well as reduce carbon and encourage public transport and travel on foot.

The successful pilot scheme saw Croydon Council deliver:

1. A cut in car travel costs by 42%, from £1.3m to £756,000.

2. A reduction in Croydon Council employee car users by more than half (52%), from 1,284 to 611.

3. A drop in employee business miles by 42%, from 1.1m miles to 642,000 miles per year.

4. A reduction in employee CO2 emissions by 36%, from 324 tonnes, to 207 tonnes annually.

In addition, the council also wanted to extend the transport options available to residents of Croydon, by providing public access to the car club vehicles outside of working hours – a key feature of the Zipcar offering

The Zipcar service provides customers with instant access to cars and vans, when they need them, without the need to own the vehicle. Under the London Borough of Croydon scheme, Zipcar provides exclusive use of 23 vehicles to council employees from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Outside of these hours, these vehicles are available to Zipcar members in the Borough of Croydon, at peak times such as evenings and weekends.

There are various models available under the scheme, including a seven-seat Volkswagen Touran, a Volkswagen Transporter van, and a Vauxhall Ampera electric vehicle (EV). These 23 vehicles will bolster the existing Zipcar vehicles in the borough, which are currently available to Zipcar members all day, every day.

Croydon Council’s cabinet member for corporate and voluntary services, Councillor Sara Bashford, said: ‘We’re very proud of the steps we’ve taken to improve our transport scheme, and are committed to saving taxpayers money, while reducing carbon emissions. The immediate impact on car usage and costs is clear, and we’ve established processes to ensure our carbon emissions are checked and evaluated on a monthly basis.

‘By 2040 our aim is to be London’s most enterprising borough. This is one step towards this goal, and it shows how innovative thinking and services can drive us towards being part of a more sustainable London, while enabling us to make substantial financial savings that benefit local residents.’

Other councils already using Zipcar include Kent County Council, Surrey County Council, London Borough Islington, London Borough Sutton, Royal Borough Kingston, London Borough Richmond, City of Westminster, Maidstone Borough Council, London Borough Redbridge, Royal Borough Kensington and Chelsea.