It’s a hectic time as we continue our work on disabled people and shared transport (see the groundbreaking Keys for All report, details below), engaging private, public and third sectors on shared transport, producing guidance (also see below for our latest shared micromobility guidance) and gearing up for important work on the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.
Although a Tube strike is never anything anyone would wish on Europe’s largest city, it was heartening to see shared micromobility being able to step into that breach at an unprecedented scale.
We are grateful for successful collaborative working with a range of partners to bring some improvement to the long-term worry which has been insurance at the smaller-scale end of the car club sector, loved meeting those who came to our Bristol roadshow and look forward to engaging with you soon.
Keep in touch,
Richard Dilks
Chief Executive, CoMoUK
News & insights 🗞️
Keys for All Report
We are pleased to share with you findings from a year-long research project carried out with TRL and funded by the Motability Foundation.
The report entitled “Keys for All” is the result of the first ever in-depth investigation into the barriers facing disabled people in accessing car clubs, with the aim of making them more inclusive.
CoMoUK and TRL carried out a comprehensive evidence review engaging with operators, local authorities, disability charities and disabled people’s organisations, as well as surveying disabled users.
The report sets out a vision for inclusive car clubs, where staff would be equipped with the knowledge and skills to provide high quality support for disabled people, through a range of possible solutions:
A major awareness raising campaign and improvements to car club websites and apps so they are easier to use.
A “full audit” of the accessibility of car club websites, apps and communications so they are optimised for disabled people, and specialist training for car club staff.
A pilot which would test out ways of making car clubs more attractive for disabled consumers, such as trialing a discount system and more flexible cancellation policies recognising the unpredictable nature of certain impairments.
Better information about the accessibility of car club vehicles to be made available by operators, as well as backing the rollout of a wider range of adapted vehicles over the longer term.
We are now looking at how we can this work forward further.
Commissioning shared micromobility schemes the right way
We were pleased to collaborate on an open letter to DfT Minister Simon Lightwood with Voi, Lime, Dott, Forest and Bolt highlighting the risks from the rising trend of authorities prioritising financial returns to authorities when procuring shared micromobility schemes.
New guidance on developing successful shared micromobility schemes
Designing a shared micromobility scheme takes a great deal of thought, for example to refine objectives, and scale and model its financial side. There are also detailed issues to consider such as vehicle choice, parking bay provision and partnerships.
This new CoMoUK guidance provides a refreshed look at the current market, recommends strategy steps and describes common pitfalls.
In particular, we examine the funding of schemes to stress the need for subsidy in areas which don’t have all the characteristics which lead to high ridership numbers.
The new document emphasises the need for caution around expectation for any financial contributions to be paid to the council except in the most profitable cities.
For one to one support for your area please contact info@como.org.uk.
New insurance for community clubs
We are really pleased to share news that further barriers have been broken down for community car clubs seeking insurance.
Now new schemes without a previous claims history can be covered thanks to work done by Business Choice Direct with the support of CoMoUK, the Community Transport Association, the Scottish Rural & Islands Transport Community (SRITC) CIC and Derwent Valley Car Club.
Our Chief Executive said: “For more than half a decade, we have been trying to improve the dire insurance situation facing smaller car clubs, so this is a very welcome development. The lack of available cover, as well as the expense of getting renewals, has caused collateral damage on a large scale and has sadly resulted in some community-scale car clubs in the UK closing altogether. Furthermore, difficulties in obtaining insurance have also stopped potential new car clubs from getting off the ground, denying people a low-cost, environmentally friendly transport option. We were therefore happy to be able to support the excellent work of BCD and the CTA in this area, co-ordinating outreach to smaller-scale car clubs. However, there is a lot still to do, which is why we are calling on the UK Government to use its influence to help the situation, before any more car club closures occur.”
CoMoUK WEMCA Mobility Hub Roadshow
On Thursday 18 September over 60 delegates from across the UK gathered at the University of the West of England’s Frenchay Campus to learn more about the latest developments in mobility hubs.
Last month we reported that Voi have secured a contract with Edinburgh City Council to operate e-bikes across the capital. This news has been swiftly followed by the announcement that the Swedish company have also won the tender to work in Glasgow.
The city will host a fully electric fleet to Glasgow for the first time, offering hirers a choice between two e-bike models tailored to trip duration and rider preference. A minimum of 1,000 e-bikes will be available 24/7 at over 150 locations in clearly marked geo-fenced zones.
"The car club has a van 5 minutes from my flat which my girlfriend and I used on multiple occasions when furnishing our new place together - it was ideal."
Male user from Edinburgh, 25-34, Annual Car Club Report 2024
