A car sharing scheme with a difference has been introduced to Wandsworth.

Residents will be able to pick up and drop off hire cars in almost any street in the borough in the ‘Zipzone’, which is operated by car company Zipcar.

Covering the whole borough, and parts of Sutton and Merton, members find a nearby car using a smartphone app and are charged by the minute once they drive off.

Drivers will not have to return the cars to where they picked them up, giving greater flexibility.

A trip from Battersea Park to Tooting Bec costs around £5.80 based on a 20 minute journey.

Wandsworth has the highest membership of car sharing schemes in London at 14,000 registered users.

There are initially 300 ‘floating’ cars in use across the ‘Zipzone’ with more likely to be introduced as new members subscribe.

Deputy leader of Wandsworth Council Jonathan Cook said: “Members are able to give up private car ownership and the whole borough is reaping the benefits with reduced traffic, parking and pollution levels.”

Jonathan Hampson, general manager at Zipcar UK, said: “We believe that the freedom to be able to do any kind of trip, where you need a car without having to own one, has the power to fundamentally redefine urban mobility in the kind of sustainable way that will allow the borough and the wider capital to continue to grow and thrive.”