- What
are the benefits of Car Sharing?
- How
does the insurance work?
- What
about my insurance record?
- What
does it cost to join?
- How
do I reserve a car?
- Can
I only reserve a car during regular business hours?
- How
long in advance must I reserve a car?
- Will
the car be available every time I need it?
- How
long am I allowed to have a car? And how often can I have it?
- Can
I take it for longer trips?
- Can
I use a car for work-related tasks?
- Do
I have to go to the office each time that I use a car to pick
up and drop off a key and to pay for the reservation?
- Will
I be responsible for any maintenance?
- How
about gas? Do I have to fill it after every use?
- How
do we keep track of damage?
- Can
baby seats be used in the cars? And what about bike racks?
- What
if I get a ticket or towed?
- What
if car sharing doesn't work for me? How do I get my Membership
Fee back?
- Are
there other car sharing organizations?
1. What are the benefits of Car Sharing?
For
the Member it means low cost access to a car when you really need
one, along with the substantial benefit of not being saddled with
a major debt and the hassle of car maintenance.
For the Environment it means you are using a car as a last resort,
once other forms of transportation have been considered. This
means you will drive less and do so in a very well-maintained
car. This helps to improve air quality and eliminates some non-point
sources of pollution. Also, as Car Sharing grows, we will have
fewer cars in our neighbourhoods, less noise from them, less congestion
and stress on green space.
For the Community it means cars will take up less space on our
residential streets, fostering more pedestrian-friendly and child-friendly
areas in which to live. Meanwhile it addresses social equity issues
for those previously deprived of the resource.
2. How does the insurance work?
Insurance
is purchased through the Co-operator's Insurance Group. Grand River CarShare purchases the insurance under a fleet plan, so the organization,
not the driver, holds the insurance. In the event of an at-fault
accident, the member at fault is responsible for the deductible
just as if she were driving a personally-owned vehicle. All of
our deductibles are $500 and the co-op has a lien on your member
loan to capture this amount for paying the deductible. If the
member is deemed not to be at-fault, then the deductible does
not have to be paid.
We
have an insurance package which includes Collision
and Comprehensive, Third Party Liability ($2,000,000), Accident
Benefits, Uninsured Automobile Coverage, and Family Protection
Endorsement. Our policy currently requires all drivers of co-op
vehicles to be a minimum of 23 years of age, have a full 'G' license,
and no at-fault accidents nor criminal code convictions (such
as Driving While Impaired or Reckless Endangerment) in the past
3 years. Return
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3.
What about my insurance record?
If
a member gives up a personal car to join the car co-op, they will,
in future, be considered to have been continually covered by the
co-op's policy for the purposes of determining their new insurance
rate. This is an important consideration because when a car is
given up for a period of time, and later there's a need to acquire
another, insurance coverage is often charged a higher rate - as
if one had never had car insurance. Return
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4.
What does it cost to join?
First,
a $25 non-refundable application fee is collected from candidates
to allow our insurance company to do a check on your driver's
license and abstract.
To
apply for membership, you must submit the $25 fee along with the
appropriate amount for your membeshipr loan ($400 for one driver,
$500 for two). The membership loan acts like a security deposit.
If you should ever leave the organization, you'll get back 100%
of this loan. However, to ensure financial stability for the co-op,
we reserve the right to hold on to your loan for up to three months
if necessary. We pay you interest on the loan that is the equivalent
of having deposited the money in a savings account at the Waterloo
Regional Credit Union. Return
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5.
How do I reserve a car?
Simply
use our online reservation system on our website or call our dedicated
24hrs-per-day reservation line. When using our reservation line
indicate the date and time you need the car and an operator will
be able to tell you immediately if one is available and, if it
is not, when one is. The car will be reserved for you and you
simply go to the car and use it when your reservation time begins.
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6.
Can I only reserve a car during regular business hours?
You
can make reservations through our online reservation system on
our website or through our dedicated reservation line 24hrs-per-day.
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7.
How long in advance must I reserve a car?
You
can reserve as far in advance as you choose. You can also reserve
on the spur-of-the-moment. There is no standard or required time
frame to arrange for a car. However, the more notice you can provide,
the more certain you will be of having a car when you need it. Return
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8.
Will the car be available every time I need it?
We
do a couple of things to help ensure that you have access to vehicles
when you need it. First, we allow you to reserve
as far in advance as you need. So if you know you have a commitment
every Thursday from 4-6pm, for example, there is no reason to
not reserve
yourself in for that time for the next few months. Second, we
have partnerships with Enterprise and Hertz car rental agencies,
whereby we get reduced rates (Mon thru Fri) for Co-op members.
This will help us meet demands for weekend bookings and longer
trips: if two or more people want access to the same car in one
period, we will just arrange for a rental, and pass on a portion
of whatever savings may accrue directly to you. Third, the bigger
we grow, the less likely it will be that none of our cars will
be available when you need it. Return
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9.
How long am I allowed to have a car? And how often can I have it?
There
are no limitations on the length of time you can use the car,
however, the shortest time we will bill out is one half hour.
You can use a car as much as you need, but remember, your cost
is directly based on use. Return
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10.
Can I take it for longer trips?
Of
course, but remember our per kilometre costs. We can help you
determine if it is more cost effective to use a People's Car or
a standard car rental agency. On longer trips a standard car rental
may be more cost effective. Return
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11.
Can I use a car for work-related tasks?
Yes,
some members will use a car strictly for work-related tasks, in
which case Grand RIver CarShare invoice represents a business expense.
Self-employed consultants will find this service a good way to
reduce overhead costs. Remember, however, that car sharing does
not suit normal commuting, as you pay for every hour that a car
sits in a parking lot.
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12.
Do I have to go to the office each time that I use a car to pick
up and drop off a key and to pay for the reservation?
No!
We operate on an innovative self-serve access system: when you
join you will be given a lock box key. This key will allow you
to access a lock box located near the vehicle parking spot, which
holds the car key. Then at the end of the month you receive a
monthly invoice itemizing each reservation. The invoice is payable
by pre-authorized debit, credit card, cheque, cash, phone or internet
banking. Return
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13.
Will I be responsible for any maintenance?
That
depends on what you've done with the car. If you've made a mess,
you'll have to clean it. We will clean the cars on a monthly basis
but there may be times when you will want to have the car really
clean for your outing. In this case, we suggest you take it through
the car wash and expense the cost to Grand River CarShare. As for
mechanical maintenance, NO! you don't need to visit a mechanic
ever again! The Co-op will maintain a schedule for regular maintenance
and inspections to be sure the cars are in good working order. Return
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14.
How about gas? Do I have to fill it after every use?
No.
The member is responsible for ensuring the tank is at least one
half full for the next user. If the gas level goes below 1/2,
the member fills the tank and submits the receipt to The People's
Car to have the cost deducted from their monthly bill. Return
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15.
How do we keep track of damage?
The
members actually cross-check each other with a visual inspection
before and after use and record any changes in a log book. We
are not interested in tiny scratches and bumps. Notifying us of
larger scratches will alert us to apply a bit of touch up paint. Return
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16.
Can baby seats be used in the cars? And what about bike racks?
We
have child seats installed in every vehicle in our fleet. And
yes, some of our members have offered to share their bike racks
and roof racks with other members: call our business line to enquire
about it. Return
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17.
What if I get a ticket or towed?
Car
sharing is about sharing the costs and access to a vehicle. It
is not about sharing responsibility for infraction costs. If you
get a speeding, parking or other car related ticket, you'll have
to pay for it. If the car is towed or impounded while it is out
in your name, you will have to pay for the costs incurred. If
you don't inform the co-op of your having received a ticket and
we receive the notice and have to hunt you down, you will receive
a fine from us in addition to having to pay the original fine. Return
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18.
What if car sharing doesn't work for me? How do I get my Membership
Loan back?
Car
sharing isn't for everyone. It takes a certain level of flexibility
and a real commitment to using alternative means of getting around.
It also provides a significant cost advantage over private car
ownership. But if you find for whatever reason that you would
like to leave the organization, you merely inform us in writing
and we will return your member loan. We reserve the right to deduct
any unpaid bills to the Co-op from the balance of your member
loan. Your balance will be returned no more than 90 days after
you have returned your key. Return
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19.
Are there other car sharing organizations?
Yes,
there are car sharing organizations throughout Europe and North
America. See www.carsharing.net
for a complete listing. In Canada, there are the following: in
Quebec there is CommunAuto in Quebec City, Montreal, Sherbrooke,
and Gatineau. In B.C. there is the Co-operative Auto Network (CAN)
in Vancouver, Nanaimo, Whistler, Courtney, Cortes Island, and
Tofino; the Victoria Car Share Co-op in Victoria; and the Nelson
Car Share Co-op in Nelson. In Alberta there is the Calgary Alternative
Transportation Co-operative (CATCO) in Calgary, and the Car Sharing
Co-op of Edmonton in Edmonton. In Ontario there is Autoshare in
Toronto; the Guelph Community Car Co-op in Guelph; Vrtucar in
Ottawa; the Kingston Car Co-op in Kingston; and of course People's
Car Co-op in Kitchener-Waterloo. We are planning cross-use agreements
so that members in any of the organizations can have access to
cars in other cities.
Return
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If
there are any questions we haven't answered, or any of the information
presented here is unclear, please let us know what additional details
you need.
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