Montreal-based car-sharing service Communauto is expanding its operations to Toronto thanks to a permit offered under the city’s Free-Floating Car-Share pilot program.
The first phase of the pilot will launch in November 2018, with the Toronto version of the service taking the name of Communauto FLEX. Operations will take place in the downtown core, with 200 Hyundai Accent hatchbacks servicing 50 square kilometres, according to the company’s news release.
“Car-sharing technologies have the power to change how people go about their day-to-day lives and get around this city. I’ve encouraged the introduction of these new technologies and believe that there can be many benefits, including potentially reducing traffic and congestion by removing cars from the road,” said Mayor John Tory.
Communauto FLEX plans to expand the number of cars on the road to more than 500 (covering 100 square kilometres) after the pilot project ends. This would allow the company to serve residents up to Eglinton Ave.
The City of Toronto approved the Free-Floating Car-Share pilot project earlier this year in April. The service allows members to pick up a vehicle and drop it off at one of many approved residential parking spaces throughout the city.
“As a Canadian company, we’re proud to be the first to bring a free-floating car service to Toronto under this pilot,” said Benoit Robert, Communauto president. “Our FLEX service will make car-sharing easy and affordable for city residents, and our goal is to work together with Toronto’s existing transit options to provide better solutions to mobility issues.”
Communauto describes itself as Canada’s longest-running car-sharing company. It’s one of many such services seeking to expand as they meet growing customer demands for this form of transportation. Many cities are also aiming to curb the amount of vehicles in their downtown area.
