An unpopular scheme which flooded the borough's parking spaces with Smart cars has withdrawn from Sutton.

Car hire scheme car2go launched in Sutton by parking bright white and blue Smart cars in public parking spaces and car parks around the borough in December 2012.

Your Local Guardian: Councillr Tony Shields saw this car2go being ticketed

A car2go vehicle is given a ticket

The cars were immediately unpopular as the scheme failed to take off meaning many of the cars sat idle taking up parking spots for weeks on end.

Some of them were even given tickets after the scheme's organisers put them in people's allocated bays by mistake.

car2go has now withdrawn the scheme from Sutton after it failed to generate enough interest from members of the public.

The company has not responded to a request for a comment but Sutton Council said the scheme stopped in December 2013.

Your Local Guardian:

Three car2go vehicles parked within yards of each other (picture: Councillor Tony Shields)

The scheme was supposed to work by allowing people to use the cars on a pay-as-you-go basis in any public parking space in the home areas.

They were also active in Islington and Newham boroughs and used by members of the scheme who got access via a pre-paid swipe card. The cars could then be used for the paid-for time and then parked back in the home area.

Sutton Council gave permission for the car2go to operate in Sutton and it later launched in Merton but has now been scaled back so the cars are only available in Islington.

Councillor Tony Shields said: "The scheme was very clumsy in its introduction which caused a lot of resentment in local streets but it is just another entry on the council failed project list.

"The costs will be considerable in promotion and staff costs but residents will be expected to conveniently forget this latest shambles as usual."


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