So, you want to do your bit for the environment by getting rid of your car – but how will you get around?

Walking or cycling everywhere is a nice idea but not particularly practical in reality, and neither is relying on lifts from family and friends.

Which leaves you with joining a car sharing club or using public transport – so which is best for you?

Public transport

Depending on where you live, you can live all your life using public transport or very little of it.

For those in large metropolitan areas, buses, trains, trams and undergrounds make getting around without a car easy.

In fact, in very built-up area such as London, car ownership is not just expensive, it’s wholly impractical, with limited parking and daily congestion.

Public transport is a great way of reducing your impact on the environment; the underground system emits around a sixth of the equivalent car journey, while a coach ride produces even lower emissions still.

A bus currently emits more as a whole, because the vehicles travel at lower speeds and pull over frequently, but when compared to a single occupancy car journey, it produces half the greenhouse gases.

Public transport can also be a less stressful way to travel, as someone else takes care of the driving and there’s no hunting for a parking space at the end of it.

However, it can be expensive and unreliable; trains can be delayed, buses can be full and roadworks are non-negotiable, however big your vehicle is.

Car-sharing

For those who want ready access to a private vehicle without the cost and trouble of car ownership, Co Wheels could have the answer.

Car sharing is a great way of cutting your emissions, as it makes you really focus on if you need to make a car journey; if there’s not a car waiting on your drive, you’re far more likely to put your trainers and raincoat on and walk to the shops.

Of course, there are times when you really do need a car, and Co Wheels is there for those times.

With hundreds of vehicles across the country, we’ve got what you need, when you need it, without having to think about tax, MOTs, servicing and the like.

You can also enjoy having access to a wide range of cars from a tiny runaround for a citybreak or a family car for the big shop to a seven-seater for a family getaway and even vans when you’ve got some heavy lifting to do.

And if you want to boost your green credentials even further, we also have a range of electric and hydrogen powered cars to try too.

Using the Co Wheels car sharing club couldn’t be easier; simply join up here, book your car through our app or online and use your smartcard to access the vehicle. At the end of your session, put the car back where you found it or return it to an approved parking zone - simple.

You get all of the benefits of your own car, without the costs – what are you waiting for?