Fleet managers can now hire vans on a pay-as-you-go basis with the launch of Streetcar’s van service, Streetvan.

The company has Volkswagen Transporters parked at more than 50 locations across London and Brighton, including dedicated on-street bays, Homebase DIY stores and Big Yellow Self Storage car parks. There are plans to expand the number of locations to 150.

By joining Streetvan, a member can hire a van for £8.95 per hour, with a 24-hour rate of £69.50. Members access the van using a smartcard.

They then type a pin number into the handset, which releases the van’s immobiliser, and they can drive away.

“In trials, Streetvan has proved incredibly popular with companies wanting the advantage of a delivery van without the overheads associated with buying one,” said Brett Akker, co-founder of Streetvan.

On average, the vans are used by three different drivers each day.