Businesses in Nottingham are driving a sharp increase in car club usage following the introduction of the Workplace Parking Levy (WPL) in 2012, which requires employers in the city to obtain a licence and pay a charge if they provide parking to employees.

Enterprise Car Club now operates 14 vehicles in 10 locations across Nottingham.

According to rental specialist Enterprise Rent A Car, this has increased demand for alternative means of mobility in the area.

The company introduced Enterprise Car Club bays at the city’s tram park & ride service and around the city, used primarily by commuters and those making business trips. Enterprise Car Club now operates 14 vehicles in 10 locations across Nottingham, an increase of 64% since July 2015.

One business that has utilised car club services is Nottingham Trent University. According to David Hobday, the university’s sustainable transport officer, car clubs are useful tools for keeping businesses mobile.

“We have an electric car based on campus and our users can access other vehicles in the city too. It means people without a car can stay mobile, and we’re able to reduce our reliance on people using their own cars for work trips and claiming reimbursement,” Hobday said.

“Using Enterprise Car Club encourages our employees to think differently about business travel while also reducing our corporate risk and our CO2 emissions.”

Adrian Bewley, director of business rental UK & Ireland at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, added: “Mobility is a vital part of business and car clubs are an ideal solution for short local trips, particularly for companies in Nottingham that don’t want to have to pay to offer extra parking to their employees.

“The WPL charge can also be passed on to employees, which can make some businesses less competitive when it comes to attracting talent. It’s a 21^st Century solution for business travel.”