Many downtown home and condominium owners don’t find it convenient to pay to store a car, never mind the cost of the car itself or the insurance. However, several innovative companies that offer car sharing have begun catering to Toronto.
Car sharing allows Torontonians with valid drivers licenses to pay a low hourly or daily rate to essentially rent a car. Drivers don’t pay any insurance, and when they need to fill up there’s a handy gas card inside of the car, providing free gas for wherever life takes them in an SUV, Mini Cooper or BMW.
It’s even considered green, allowing car-sharers an extra feeling of smugness over car owners as they learn that according to one leading company, each one of their over 6,000 cars takes up to 20 extra personally-owned cars – and their emissions – off our roads.
The convenience factor is extremely high: make a reservation online or on your cell phone, and then go find the car when it’s time. They’re parked all over the city, on streets or in public parking lots. You keep a small hotel key-like card in your wallet and use it to unlock the car when it’s time for your reservation, and the keys are inside. No talking to anyone, no waiting and best of all – no human error. Some companies even reward drivers with credit if they bring their vehicle to the car wash.
Now, a new company that might bring green transportation sharing to a new level in Toronto with bike sharing. The company, Bixi, will place 85 “stations” across the city where patrons can grab a bike, go where they need to go and return the bike to any station they choose – which is one of the biggest drawbacks to most car-sharing companies, where the car must be returned to its original parking space.
According to CBC, the program will cost riders $78 per year, $28 per month of $5 per day, along with a dollar here and there for each ride. But, the company needs about 1,000 subscribers by November 30th, otherwise the city can’t let them operate. If they get enough public awareness and sponsors, Bixi is expected to launch Spring 2011.
You can learn more about Bixi in Toronto here: www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2010/cc/bgrd/backgroundfile-30125.pdf
