New ‘car sharing’ service for Wexford
DRIVERS CAN BOOK A CAR ONLINE FOR AS LITTLE AS €8 AN HOUR
A NEW car sharing service has been launched in Wexford town and plans are under way to roll out the operation to other towns across the county.
GoCar, in partnership with Irish Rail, has launched its car sharing service in Wexford with the first GoCar base situated at O’Hanrahan train station.
The company says the move comes in response to the success of the car sharing initiative in Dublin and Cork, which has seen increased demand from local residents and businesses for a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to car ownership.
Wexford residents can book GoCar vehicles online or via the app for as little as an hour at a time.
The car is then unlocked using either a GoCard or a phone with the GoCar app with the keys located inside the vehicle.
Car sharing rates start from €8 per hour, with 50km of driving included on each trip and users benefit from no fuel, insurance or city parking charges. Since it was launched in 2008, over 11,000 drivers have signed up to GoCar, and it now offers over 240 vehicles across 170 locations.
Go Car says that with pay-as-you-go pricing and no subscription charges, car sharing is ideal for people who need occasional access to a car but don’t necessarily want to own one – it is also an effective transport option for families who require a second car from time to time.
Car sharing reduces car dependency, congestion, noise and air pollution, and frees up land traditionally used for parking spaces. GoCar is seeking approval from Wexford County Council to further extend its bases across the county, offering increased access for residents and businesses to car sharing. The company hopes to see expansion of Wexford GoCar bases ahead of European Mobility Week this September, during which the EU is encouraging local authorities to launch and promote permanent measures to enabled bike and car sharing.
‘With GoCar planning to double the number of vehicles available in Ireland this year, we are calling on Wexford residents to let us know where exactly they would like to see car sharing spaces so we can make car sharing accessible to as many people as possible,’ said GoCar Managing Director Colm Brady. For anyone who is interested in requesting a GoCar base near their workplace or home, they can visit GoCar.ie/Locations.