To ask the Minister for Infrastructure what steps her Department has taken towards introducing dedicated car parking spaces and other necessary infrastructure for car club business models in Northern Ireland.

My Department is currently considering a number of options to develop cleaner transport, new business models and new modes of travel, to transform how people, goods and services move. I have put forward a number of proposals for inclusion in the Executive’s Energy Strategy, which is due for release later this year.

Greater use of more efficient, on-demand business models for transport, such as Car Clubs, will enable more frequent and better integrated personal mobility services which would help to reduce emissions and congestion in our towns and cities.

Members of the public already have access to Car Club vehicles in several urban areas across Northern Ireland. In addition, in consultation with my Department, a number of developers have recently included Car Clubs in their Travel Plans for residential developments in Belfast.

Virtually all Car Clubs across the UK and Europe operate as commercial businesses, and as such I do not intend my Department to actively establish or operate Car Clubs. Additionally, legislation on the commercialisation of public assets precludes private operators from occupying on-street public parking spaces for Car Clubs. I do however look forward to seeing additional operators entering the market, and widening access to this service across Northern Ireland as an alternative to private car ownership.