Transport for London (TfL) has been criticised for “preventing the growth of car clubs and putting the brakes on progress” in a new London Assembly report.

The report criticises the lack of a city-wide strategy on car clubs from TfL

The Transport Committee report – TfL’s Stalling Car Clubs – calls out the lack of a city-wide strategy on car clubs from TfL and says its approach should be “urgently” revisited.

It says there is currently a “patchwork approach” to car clubs in the city, forcing councils to create their own strategies, leading to inconsistent provision across the capital and causing some operators to pull out of London.

Recommendations include recognition by the Mayor in the next London Plan of the important part that car clubs can and should play in London’s transport mix.

The committee also wants the Mayor to develop a pan-London action plan for car clubs in the next year, through TfL and working with London’s boroughs.

Committee members also said TfL should develop a London-wide campaign to raise awareness of car clubs, informing Londoners of what car clubs are, how they can access them and the benefits that they provide.

Elly Baker, chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, said: “The benefits of car clubs are obvious – allowing Londoners to use a car when needed, without the ongoing costs of owning a private vehicle, and delivering a positive impact on street space and congestion.

“Yet TfL’s approach is overlooking these benefits, and not providing the support that the industry needs to grow.

“A TfL action plan to support car clubs is needed to fix spotty provision, increase awareness, and help take off the handbrake on car clubs in London.”

Shared transport charity Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK) welcomed the report and said the findings back up and echo much of its own research on the benefits of car clubs.

Richard Dilks, chief executive, said: “The capital once led the way in this area, but is now sadly lagging behind other major European cities.

“Our research has repeatedly found that car clubs lead to reduced numbers of private cars and reduced car mileage and are linked to public transport and active travel.

“All this while users repeatedly tell us they are saving money, avoiding the hassle that comes with owning their own car, and reducing their carbon footprint.

“Car clubs also help to make people more active, with members more likely to walk or cycle short journeys than those who have access to a private car and use it by default.

“London as a whole would also benefit from increased car club membership, with less traffic congestion, improvements in air quality, and more street space.”

The London Assembly Transport Committee TfL’s Stalling Car Clubs report is online here.