WhizzGo, the leading national operator of car club schemes, is expanding its all-Citroën fleet to approaching 200 cars – and as part of its continuing programme of setting up new urban car clubs, the company has just begun operations in Southampton.

Annually, WhizzGo is now contract hiring up to 120 Citroën C3 1.4i Desire cars as well as, for the first time, Xsara Picasso Compact MPVs, as it rolls out its car club partnership to large urban authorities throughout the UK. Many of the C3 Desire cars operating in London have Nicholson McLaren LPG conversions and are thus exempt from London’s daily Congestion Charge.

The Southampton car club scheme will initially involve 22 Citroëns. These cars are available to WhizzGo members for a maximum cost of just £4.95 per hour, which includes fuel and insurance. The Southampton-based cars will be available from four locations in the town, with seven more dedicated WhizzGo locations being added soon.

When it started its Leeds operation in 2004, WhizzGo was the first commercial car club in the UK to be fully integrated into a city-wide transport network. Since then WhizzGo has successfully set up car club schemes in London. WhizzGo has also just launched in Liverpool (see our article) with an initial 10 cars of an expected fleet of 50, as well as in Brighton and Hove, with the first of an expected fleet of 30.

Other major UK cities will follow in the next few months. In addition to its urban operations, the company also provides its technology, management experience and cars to rural car club schemes, such as Cars4U in Richmondshire and Hambleton, in North Yorkshire.

The WhizzGo car club scheme appeals to urban dwellers, business people who use public transport to get to work but who need a car to meet clients or for other business during the day, and families wanting the use of a second car without the additional financial implications that this would normally entail.

In each of its urban locations WhizzGo has several conveniently sited and dedicated parking bays where members can collect and leave the cars. Once members have been issued with a smart card they gain access to the cars by phoning 0870 44 66 000 or booking on the internet (www.WhizzGo.co.uk).

The club member is then allocated the nearest available car, fitted with advanced on-board smart card recognition equipment, which will be within a few minutes walking distance. The booking information is relayed to the car’s on-board computer. The member gains access to the vehicle using the smart card and, after entering an individual PIN, drives away. At the end of the hire period the vehicle is returned to the WhizzGo parking bay it was originally collected from.

Charlotte Morton, WhizzGo’s managing director, explains, “WhizzGo provides a unique transport proposition for people living in an increasing number of major UK towns. Without the major cost of owning a car they can hire a car for those trips which cannot easily be carried out on foot or by bike, bus, tube or train.”