New club offers affordable rental option for non-car owners

Pictured are Councillor Kelly Parry and Ben Thierry from Enterprise Car Club.

A new car club scheme has been launched in Midlothian for local people who might need occasional use of a vehicle without the expense of running and upkeep.

The initiative is a partnership between Midlothian Council Enterprise Car Club, and has provided two cars which are available to rent by the hour or day – one at Loanhead Leisure Centre and the other at St Andrews Street in Dalkeith.

The service is easy to use, with people joining as Enterprise Car Club member and downloading the app to book and unlock the car.

Membership options are also available for local businesses and other organisations.

The scheme offers a Surrogate Driver programme which allows a person with a disability to join Enterprise Car Club and add three additional surrogate drivers to their account at no additional cost.

Membership covers servicing, MOTs, breakdown cover, damage protection and cleaning.

Council leader Councillor Kelly Parry said the new scheme will offer additional travel options for the public, and there are hopes the pilot scheme will eventually be rolled out across the area.

She said: “Being able to rent a car by the hour or the day, 24/7 from as little as £3.28 per hour is convenient and affordable for many local people who either don’t need a vehicle full time or don’t want the expense.

“We’ve only just launched the car club in Midlothian, but the two cars have already been well used.

“We're looking forward to working with Enterprise Car Club to make this pilot a success and potentially offer cars elsewhere in Midlothian in the coming months.”

Jason Parks, Director of Enterprise Car Club, added: “We are excited to partner with Midlothian Council to bring Enterprise Car Club to the area, offering a convenient and affordable way for local residents and businesses to access vehicles when they need them.

"We look forward to continuing this partnership and the positive impact it will have on the community.”

More information about Enterprise Car Club, including how to download the app, can be found on the Enterprise Car Club website.