Coast Car Co-op to launch March 1

Sunshine Coast-based Coast Car Co-op (CCC) will officially launch on March 1, 2014, Executive Director Johan Stroman announced this week. The not-for-profit organization has received widespread support throughout the Sunshine Coast community. Starting with 45 members and two vehicles – a 2013 Toyota Prius C (hybrid car) and a new Dodge Grand Caravan (family van), CCC expects to add a third vehicle by May 1. Through a roaming agreement with Vancouver-based Modo The Car Co-op, CCC members will have access to more than 300 vehicles in the Lower Mainland, including a new multi-passenger vehicle that will be placed in Horseshoe Bay to coincide with the launch.

A special free public event celebrating the launch will be held Saturday, March 1 at Gibsons Public Market at 11a.m.  A short ceremony, followed by light snacks and displays will provide members and interested public with more information and ways to share their own thoughts on local transportation.

“The community support has been exceptional,” said Stroman. “We are committed to providing the Sunshine Coast with a more affordable, convenient and greener option for transportation, and they have responded with huge support. The model of a carsharing organization fits perfectly with the culture of the Coast. It provides access to a range of vehicles for those that normally bike, bus or walk, and it augments one-car households for when they need that second vehicle.  As our membership increases on the coast, we will grow from three cars up to 10 or more here in the next three years.”

To join, Coast Car Co-op members pay a one-time fully refundable membership fee of $400 ($750 for a couple), and a $25 registration fee. Then they only pay for usage: $5 per hour, plus $0.45/km for the first 50km ($0.25/km for additional trip kilometers). Cost of gas, insurance, maintenance and roadside assistance are included.

In addition to access to Modo’s fleet in Vancouver, members can access another 50 vehicles in Victoria, Nanaimo, Kelowna and the Kootenays – a huge value to members. For more information, please visit the Coast Car Co-op website www.coastcarco-op.ca or call 778-374-3092.

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