Drivers join the club to steer into a cheaper and greener future

Yet most of us are reluctant to abandon the family car in favour of cheaper or greener alternatives.

Despite well-publicised campaigns encouraging us to get on our bikes and or on the bus, roads remain congested and the future looks increasingly gridlocked.

The car provides the freedom to roam in a safe environment, hermetically sealed against the kind of misery we imagine must be endured on public transport. Without the car, how would you do the school run, go on the weekly shop or take a drive to the airport with all those heavy bags on holiday?

We invest so much of our time, money and effort into owning a car.

And yet, the word "invest" doesn't really make any real sense in the world of motoring. The cost of fuel, road tax, insurance, repairs and general maintenance will never yield a positive return.

Car clubs have been billed as a sensible alternative for those who want the benefits of four wheels without the hefty associated costs of car ownership. Cars are booked online, paid for by the hour and when you have finished with your vehicle, you simply drop it off at an assigned point.

According to CarClubs.org.uk, a website run by Carplus, the charity that regulates the Car Club industry, if you drive less than 6,000 miles per year then a Car Club could save you up to 3,500 a year.

The environmental savings also appear pretty impressive, with research showing that every Car Club car takes around 23 private cars off the road. With up to 30 members sharing one car, it also significantly cuts down on CO2 emissions and congestion in city centres.

Popular for several years in London and Paris, the clubs have recently been spreading their wings.

According to Liam Grant, marketing manager for the City Car Club – an organisation that has a presence in 14 cities throughout the UK, including Leeds, York, Sheffield and Huddersfield, there are more than 1,700 car club members in the Yorkshire area.

"It is imperative that we can work in close partnership with the local councils and they support the scheme, both on paper and in reality, by actually using the car club internally within the council and encouraging employees to do the same," he says.

"Equally, the partnership with the council is vitally important for securing on-street bays for the car club. Without their support it can be difficult to get a successful car club off the ground.

"A lot of our first members were environmentally and socially conscious individuals who were looking for a greener (and cost-effective) way of getting around without the need to own a car. However, we are now starting to penetrate the mass market as individuals realise they can save money by joining a car club, as well as getting the green benefits."

Car Clubs tick the correct box for many businesses keen to promote their green credentials. Employers encourage their employees to commute into work by public transport, cycling or walking in the knowledge that they will still have access to a car if they need one during the working day. This cuts down on the number of employees driving into work, which has a knock-on effect on pollution and congestion in the city centre.

City Car Club has recently teamed up with the University of Bradford and Bradford College where they have made three cars available on campus. As part of the university's "Ecoversity" programme, the addition of a car club will work alongside other sustainable transport initiatives, enabling students save money and reduce their carbon emissions.

"Green Travel is a main priority of Ecoversity," says Ben Tongue, travel planner at the university. "Changing the way we travel to work or study will have many benefits such as lowering carbon footprint, increasing fitness and saving money. Launching these schemes gives our staff and students even more flexibility when deciding how to travel."

Success could bring its own problems for car clubs, with some fearing the increase in membership could see drivers struggling to book vehicles where and when they want them.

However, the biggest hurdle could yet be convincing the rest of us that giving up our own four wheels will make the roads quieter and life a great deal easier.