A SCHEME that allows people in Ludlow to hire a car at short notice is celebrating its fifth anniversary.

The scheme that provides hassle free access to a car when required without the costs and commitments of car ownership celebrates its 5th birthday this week.

In that time Co Wheels Shropshire has steadily grown and hundreds of users have had flexible access to a car without the cost, responsibility and paperwork associated with car ownership or conventional car hire.

Co Wheels Shropshire is run on a not for profit basis and currently has 130 members in Shrewsbury and Ludlow.

Members can use one of five vehicles to suit different needs for flexible periods from just half an hour, paying only for the time they need. There is no need to hire for a full day or even half day.

They also have access to cars in over 60 other UK locations, so can hire cars when on business trips or holidays in locations as diverse as central London or the Lake District.

Anyone who has held a driving license for a year can join Co Wheels Shropshire, younger drivers can avoid huge insurance bills.

Older drivers who maybe only use their cars occasionally can save the cost of owning and maintaining a car that sits idle for much of the week.

“In the next few years we plan to add further cars into new locations within Shrewsbury and other Shropshire towns, in order to benefit more local people” says Jan Cook, voluntary director of the Shropshire Car Club.

For more information or to join the thousands of people in Britain who have discovered the advantages of being in a car club visit www.co-wheels.org.uk/shropshire/