Firms gear up for car share

9:58am Thursday 18th May 2006

A NEW car share scheme has been launched on a business park with more than 4,000 staff.

And management at the Windmill Hill site said half of those who responded to a survey were interested in getting involved.

"We decided the business park should go green and started talking to potential providers for a car sharing scheme," said Caydie Taylor, marketing representative for site owners St Martin's property cooperation.

"With so much traffic going through the site we felt we had to do something."

The business park has entered into a two-year agreement with specialist company Liftshare.

They will run a website where employees can set-up their car share.

Liftshare provides a support service for hundreds of car sharing schemes across the country.

Marketing staff from St Martin's are planning to explain the scheme to individual groups of employees. There are more than nine companies at the business park, including Cable and Wireless, George Wimpey and Regus.

The site will soon be expanded to accommodate 8,000 staff.

"We expect the growth of the scheme to be a gradual process. It is about constant marketing and persuading people to join up.

"But I definitely think we can get people interested."

Staff on the business park can also take advantage of a new lunchtime shuttle bus to the nearby outlet village.

The subsidised service costs employees just £1 return and is being tried out for a three month period.

Ms Taylor said: "We expect the service to really pick-up when the summer sets in.

"I expect it will be popular because it is cheaper than the regular bus service."

For more information see www.windmillhillcarshare.com.uk