Carleton’s parking services announced an on-campus student car share pod open for rentals Nov. 6.
For a $50 annual membership fee, a $25 application fee, and an hourly $8 rate, students can rent cars for hours or days at a time with gas and insurance included.
The pod is operated by Student Car Share.
“The program allows rentals for individuals as young as 18 years, which is pretty tough to find with a normal car rental,” said university safety community liaison Mark Hargreaves.
At this stage in the program, Student Car Share operates with one car on the second level of the P9 parking garage in a reserved space.
To sign up, students need a credit card, fewer than two at-fault accidents in the last six years, and fewer than two moving violations in the last three years, according to the car share’s website.
“I anticipate we’ll hear positive feedback from it,” Hargreaves said.
“[The car share is] a good opportunity to provide to our students, especially on-campus students who need to make a quick run to the store, for job interviews, or home for the weekend,” Hargreaves said.
He also said the program can have a “great impact” on the environment by having fewer cars on the road.
Second-year health sciences student Garret Duff said he doubts the program will be popular at Carleton.
“Students come here because there’s such good access to the bus system and the O-Train. Everything they need is on campus and when they leave it there are trains and buses,” he said.
Carleton signed the agreement with Student Car Share Nov. 1 at no cost to the university, Hargreaves said.
Carleton is the 15th school in Ontario to sign up with Student Car Share.
