Kitchener car share co-op expands to London, Burlington

Kitchener-based Community CarShareis expanding to London and Burlington.

The co-op, which was formed inWaterloo Region in 1998,has grown to include Guelph and Hamilton and as of May 1, the car sharing program will offer its services toLondoners. It hasplans to be in Burlington by the end of the year.

"The response has been really overwhelming," said Community CarShare presidentJason Hammond. "Every time we establish in a new community it grows a little bit faster than last time."

Hammond said the co-op's growthbenefits users in Waterloo Region who may be travelling to a neighbouring city, making it easier for them to get to where they need to be and have access to a vehicle while they are there.

"Our role as a co-operative is to break the rules a little bit. It's not just a service for Toronto and Montreal and Vancouver," Hammond said.

"Communities like ours that are mid-sized cities and even rural areas can support car sharing through a co-operative ownership."

The service says it doesn't consider itself a traditional rental service. Would-be renters have to become members before signing out a car. Vehicles can be used for as little as 30 minutes at a time, although they are typically used for a few hours.

Members join the co-op's group insurance policy, and costs are covered by a monthly or annual fee.

More cars on the road

Community CarShare also plans to increase its fleet, adding vehicles in time for summer drives. Currently, the co-op owns 37 vehicles and has around 1,000 members, but that number is expected to grow.

In order to service those needs, the non-profit relies on support from municipalities. Community CarShare has had a history of loans from the region, as well as the cities of Kitchener and Waterloo, and they are expected to be renewed as soon as next week.

The Region of Waterloo administration and financecommittee voted Tuesday in favour of offering the non-profit co-op a $50,000 line of credit, ensuring they will have the resources necessary to meet the increasing demand for the service. That vote is expected to be ratified by council next week.

"We've been growing at about 50 per centper year and with this we will have the flexibility to keep that up," said Hammond.