'40% survive without a car'

[David Hansen]

On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 16:44:08 +0000 someone who may be Peter Clinch
<[email protected]> wrote this:-

>But beyond that the main problem with hire is it requires a degree of planning. One can't get in
>from a day's work in summer, declare it's a bonny day with an East wind that means surf will be up
>at Carnoustie or St. Andrews, hire a car with roofbars at 10 minutes notice, stick the playboats on
>and go surfing for the evening.

A car club.

The concept is slowly taking off. It is slow because of the UK government idea that everyone should
drive everywhere, which is still deeply embedded.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E I will always explain revoked
keys, unless the UK government prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

 

[Graeme]

David Hansen <[email protected]> wrote in
news[email protected]:

> A car club.
>
> The concept is slowly taking off.

And falling down again, then faltering upwards again if the Edinburgh experience is anything to go
by. That's no reason not to encourage similar schemes though. However I can see the problems people
who share Peter's hobbies might have (like me). If you canoe/kayak then you really need access to a
vehicle that can carry your canoes/kayaks. This normally means good quality roof bars. Car rental
companies generally do not supply these or allow them to be fitted and even if they did you'd have
to get ones to fit the model of car you have for that day. The case is similar with car clubs (often
run with the assistance of car hire companies).

Graeme

 

[Peter Clinch]

David Hansen wrote:

> A car club.
>
> The concept is slowly taking off. It is slow because of the UK government idea that everyone
> should drive everywhere, which is still deeply embedded.

It does require a car club available though. AFAIK there's no such beast in Dundee. A friend is (or
at least was) in one in Edinburgh, which has a *lot* more poeple.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email protected]
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

 

[David Hansen]

On Sun, 22 Feb 2004 11:06:10 +0000 someone who may be Peter Clinch
<[email protected]> wrote this:-

>It does require a car club available though.

It does indeed. They are more popular in some other parts of Europe because there is not the
government fixation with everyone driving everywhere. Although they now claim that this is not a
fixation the actions of many party politicians and officials indicate otherwise.

The problems with the first club in Edinburgh are not what the knockers claim. The fact is that the
original company saw the club as a great way of setting up a network of such clubs, but after
winning the contract and before the Edinburgh club started they had a change in management with a
change in priorities. This led to the lack of enthusiasm.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E I will always explain revoked
keys, unless the UK government prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

 

[Gawnsoft]

On Sun, 22 Feb 2004 11:34:40 +0000, David Hansen
<[email protected]> wrote (more or less):

>On Sun, 22 Feb 2004 11:06:10 +0000 someone who may be Peter Clinch
><[email protected]> wrote this:-
>
>>It does require a car club available though.
>
>It does indeed. They are more popular in some other parts of Europe because there is not the
>government fixation with everyone driving everywhere. Although they now claim that this is not a
>fixation the actions of many party politicians and officials indicate otherwise.
>
>The problems with the first club in Edinburgh are not what the knockers claim. The fact is that the
>original company saw the club as a great way of setting up a network of such clubs, but after
>winning the contract and before the Edinburgh club started they had a change in management with a
>change in priorities. This led to the lack of enthusiasm.

That, and the lack of uptake by car-club users.

Even after the relaunch under new management.

Personally, I think it's because it's significantly cheaper to use a combo of taxis and hire-cars
than to use the car-club.

Mind you, taxi rates in Edinburgh seem to have shot up of late.

Cheers, Euan Gawnsoft: http://www.gawnsoft.co.sr Symbian/Epoc wiki: http://html.dnsalias.net:1122
Smalltalk links (harvested from comp.lang.smalltalk) http://html.dnsalias.net/gawnsoft/smalltalk

 

[David Hansen]

On Sun, 22 Feb 2004 13:25:32 +0000 someone who may be Gawnsoft
<[email protected]> wrote this:-

>That, and the lack of uptake by car-club users.

In the case of the first version the company were not really trying, for example they stuck to a
few sites.

>Even after the relaunch under new management.

There is now a bigger hill to climb.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E I will always explain revoked
keys, unless the UK government prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

 

[Gareth Rees]

Gawnsoft wrote:
> This article was in yesterday's Edinburgh Herald & Post:
> ================
> Around 40% of people in Edinburgh survive without a car, according to a new study.

I like the way they put it: "survive without a car". As if cars were a necessity of life, like food,
water and shelter...

--
Gareth Rees