Motorists flock to car clubs as cost of driving rockets

The City Car Club reports that an average of 303 new members a month have been joining since motoring tax rises were announced in the the March budget. A year ago that figure was 133.

Nationally, membership has risen by more than 1,000 and the club now has more than 6,000 members in Britain.

Rival club Streetcar says its London membership has leaped from 22,500 in December to 33,000.

City Car Club chief executive James Finlayson said: "We have seen the biggest increase in members in our history after Chancellor Darling's last budget. Clearly the huge rise in the cost of motoring has made many motorists realise they need to change the way they own and use a car."

The Car Club reports that many new members said they joined because of the cost of fuel, as well as the desire to avoid road tax, insurance, maintenance, parking and depreciation costs.

Many members are ditching their second family car and others are signingup as an alternative to buying one. They can hire cars for less than £5 an hour, and that often includes 50 miles of free fuel.

A spokesman for Streetcar said: "When people join we ask them why and most cite rising motoring costs. Previously the congestion charge was the main factor but now it is fuel."

According to RAC figures, a motorist driving 4,000 miles a year would pay about £2,400 in insurance, petrol, maintenance, depreciation, road tax and parking. A City Car Club vehicle doing the same mileage would cost £1,200.

City Car member Chloe Bailey, 32, of Kensington, said: "Owning a car in London has got far too expensive. The recent tax increases were the final straw, but I needed a car for weekends and supermarket shopping.

The club has hybrid cars, so I can go in the congestion charge zone for free."