30 Apr 07
Clubs tend to go for modest hatches
Curious to find out what replaces the traditional rental key hand-over ceremony, we accompany Barker from his flat in Holloway to the specially allocated Streetcar bay on Mayton Rd, a mere seven-minute walk.
The car he's booked (online of course) is street-parked, but others will be in anonymous lock-up garages or multi-storey car parks. 'I've got at least five or six cars within 10 minutes from me,' Barker says.
On Mayton St we find a brand new VW Golf, which he unlocks by pressing his smart card against a screen reader. Once inside, he reaches across to find the keys in the glovebox, punches a pincode to deactivate the immobiliser and he's ready to go.
It's easy, no doubt, but how has it saved him a fortune? 'A combination of reasons. I loved the Jaguar but it was becoming a real millstone round my neck. It was at that point in its life where everything was going wrong,' Barker says.
'I could have just bought another car, but with Streetcar I don't do trips I don't need to do. I also don't get parking tickets. Well, not local ones anyway.'
He's also pleased to be making a difference environmentally.
'Next to a Jaguar XJS any car has to better, so I'm much greener than I was. We've all got to be slightly responsible.'
Streetcar reckons every one of their VWs takes six privately owned cars off the roads, as members drive less and share the vehicle.
