Residents are being asked of their views on an electric car club for the Bridport area.

It is an initiative led by Bridport Town Council and Co-Cars Exeter , and if successful, it would give affordable access to electric cars for everyone.

The survey is now live online until the end of May and local residents, businesses and community organisations are being asked for their views on establishing a community-led electric car club.

The survey is being promoted by Bridport Town council and Co-Cars and would support the shift to zero carbon transport.

A spokesman said: "Since the announcement of the Government's 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, interest in electric cars has surged by 500 per cent. However, they remain too expensive for many people. In addition, one of the third of households cannot charge a car at home.

"An electric car club would address these challenges by locating cars across the district, bookable from as little as half an hour for one all-inclusive price. This would give members access to electric cars without having to own one.

"Furthermore, by switching to using an electric car club and getting rid of a little used personal vehicle, members could save money whilst also helping reduce the area's congestion, parking and pollution problems."

The survey also asks if respondents would be interested in an electric bike share scheme. Because they are electrically assisted, the bikes are a great alternative to the car for many shorter trips including commuting, everyday errands and leisure trips.

Councillor Rose Allwork, chairman of the Bridport's climate action sub committee said: "As a town council committed to responding to the climate emergency we are keen to explore how a car club and e-bike scheme can help address our local transport needs whilst supporting our ambitions for a net zero carbon future".

The results of the survey will not only help establish the viability of the project but will also be shared with Dorset Council to assist in their planning and roll out of EV charging in Bridport.

The survey is being run in partnership with Co Cars car club, a social enterprise that has an established network of low and zero emission cars across the South West. The company also runs the Co Bikes electric bike sharing scheme.

Mark Hodgson, managing director of Co Cars, said: "We are seeing a huge surge of interest in our shared, electric cars and bikes from communities across the region.

"We're really excited to see if we can bring them to Bridport as they would give people access to the latest technology at an affordable price, helping them save money and hassle when compared to owning a car.

"Our members not only save money, but also help tackle pollution and congestion problems as, on average, each of our shared cars removes between seven and 10 private cars from the road."

For more information, visit www.co-cars.co.uk and www.co-bikes.co.uk.