The University has a Student Travel Plan in place to help reduce the volume of cars being brought into the City and to help provide suitable alternatives to aid sustainable travel. A student Car Club Scheme has been identified as one of these suitable measures. The University is opening up the scheme to all students at the University of Bristol for the 2011/12 academic year.
Zipcars are pay-as-you-go cars that live on streets all over Bristol and the UK. Just like owning a car, you can use a Zipcar whenever you want, for as long as you want. Unlike owning a car, you don’t need to worry about anything else with tax, insurance and petrol all included.
The University of Bristol and Zipcar are working together to give students simple, 24/7 access to cars when they need them. Student annual membership is only £29.50 (saving you £30!), and driving starts from £5/hr.
As a member you can book any car online for as long as you need, from 30 minutes up to 6 months. When your booking starts just walk up to the car, unlock it with your Streetcard and drive away. At the end of your booking return the car to its designated bay, swipe your card again to lock and you’re done. In between it’s yours to drive wherever you want.
Any member of the scheme can use the cars. In order to join the club, you must be at least 19 and have held a valid driving licence for at least 12 months (24 months for 19-21 year olds). You must also have had no more than 1 accident in which an insurance claim was made in the last 3 years. To qualify for the student joining offer, you must be a current Bristol University student or employee.
Zipcar includes the extra costs you’d pay to drive your own car, so there’s no tax, insurance or MOT to worry about. The super-friendly 24/7 customer service comes as standard. Driving starts from £5/hr and £49 /day (any 24-hour period). You get 40 miles free fuel per day for city driving. See the Ziptcar's website for full pricing.
The free Zipcar iPhone app and mobile site let you find, book and unlock Zipcars right from your mobile phone. You can download the iPhone app for free from the iTunes App Store, and try it out without being a member.
There are lots of Zipcars parked around Bristol, including one at the Clifton Halls of Residence (in the Clifton Hill House car park). See the Zipcar locations page to find all the Zipcars in Bristol.
As a Bristol University student, annual Zipcar membership is just £29.50 (normally £59.50) and you also receive £30 free driving credit when you join. Even better, if you are one of the first 100 to join then membership is FREE!*
Visit Zipcar, go to 'Join with a University' and create a new account for yourself. Joining only takes a few minutes, and you can be on the road before the day’s out.
Sustainability Manager (Transport)
Amy Watts: amy.watts@bristol.ac.uk or 0117 3317817
Zipcar
* Terms and conditions: 1) The free membership packages are awarded on a first-come-first-served basis. 2) The offer is limited to the first 100 students who register. 3) The offer is only valid for current Bristol University students with a university email address.