Local authorities are being urged to incentivise the transition to electric vehicles by offering reduced permit fees for electric car club vehicles and open access charging networks for car club and bike share operators.

Around 11% of car club vehicles are now electric compared to only 1% of all vehicles, according to CoMoUK

The call comes from shared transport charity Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK), which says the decarbonisation of transport requires “unprecedented action” if the net zero target is to be reached – and that local authorities must do more.

In its manifesto for English local authorities, published ahead of May’s local government elections, CoMoUK sets out that shared transport such as car clubs and bike share schemes can contribute directly to cleaner air and better health by their proven ability to cut people’s mileage, get them to sell and not replace private cars, and boost public transport use.

Research by the charity found CO2 emissions from car club vehicles are on average 37% lower than the average UK car, with around 11% of car club vehicles now electric compared to only 1% of all vehicles.

Bike share schemes have also been shown to have positive impacts on people’s mental and physical health.

Membership of UK car clubs now stands at nearly 800,000 members – a 24% increase on the previous year – and nearly 42,000 trips are made using bike share schemes every day.

But CoMoUK has warned that shared transport remains “frequently underrepresented” in the transport strategies and delivery plans of local authorities.

And it’s stressed that further support is needed if the full benefits that sustainable transport can offer are to be achieved.

It’s published a list of 12 key actions that it wants councils in England to undertaken, in order to support to help develop shared transport.

Alongside the work on electric car club vehicles, its calls include establishing transport policies with indicators to measure progress and goals for reducing individual ownership, investing a percentage of revenue from Workplace Parking Levy schemes in shared transport, and incorporating shared transport in the design of low emission zones.

The charity also said people should be offered ‘mobility credits’ for choosing alternative modes of travel, such as car clubs and bike hire schemes – a move previously mooted by the BVRLA and already being trialled in Coventry.

Other suggested measures include for local authorities to establish a “best practice” by using pool vehicles and prioritising at least 5% of spaces in car parks over 30 spaces for shared vehicle use.

Richard Dilks, chief executive of CoMoUK, said: “Shared transport schemes are already doing heavy lifting on decarbonisation but can go much further with greater support and should be employed right across England.”

He added: “The local government elections in May present an opportunity for shared transport to be built into the future travel policies of every local authority in England.

“Currently, shared transport remains underrepresented in the transport strategies and delivery plans of English local authorities. We believe further support is needed if the full benefits that sustainable transport can offer are to be achieved.”