Bridport Town Council has proposed a new scheme that would see residents able to hire electric cars and bikes.

Residents, businesses and local organisations are now being asked for their views on the ‘electric car club’.

A survey is being promoted by Bridport Town Council and Co-Cars Exeter with a view to giving affordable access to electric vehicles whilst supporting the shift to zero carbon transport.

The council say the proposed club would see cars across the district become bookable from as little as half an hour notice - by switching to use electric cars the council say residents could save money and reduce congestion

Councillor Rose Allwork, Chair of the Climate Action Sub Committee said: “As a town council committed to responding to the climate emergency we are keen to explore how a car club and e-bike scheme can help address our local transport needs whilst supporting our ambitions for a net zero carbon future."

The online survey also asks residents for views on an electric bike share scheme. It comes as figures suggest interest in electric cars has increased by 500% since the Government’s announcement to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030.

The survey is run in partnership with Co Cars, a social enterprise with an established network of low and zero emission cars across the South West. The company also runs the Co Bikes electric bike sharing scheme.

Mark Hodgson, Managing Director of Co Cars, said: “We are seeing a surge of interest in our shared, electric cars and bikes from communities across the region.

“We’re really excited to see if we can bring them to Bridport as they would give people access to the latest technology at an affordable price, helping them save money and hassle when compared to owning a car.

“Our members not only save money, but also help tackle pollution and congestion problems as, on average, each of our shared cars removes between seven and ten private cars from the road.”

The survey is available at https://bit.ly/ElectricBridport and is open until the end of May 2022.

The results of the survey will not only help establish the viability of the project but will also be shared with Dorset Council to assist in their planning and roll out of EV charging in Bridport.