Communauto FLEX Car-Sharing Service Launches in Toronto

Car-sharing company Communauto has officially launched in Toronto after receiving a permit last month as part of the City’s new pilot program.

The company’s new free-floating sharing program, Communauto FLEX, will start out with 200 cars in the downtown core. The program enables members to use the car-sharing service for one-way trips, picking up the car from one legal street-parking space and dropping it off in another within the service boundaries.

“As a proud supporter and care-share member myself, I’m thrilled to welcome Communauto FLEX to Toronto. We know there are over 200,000 residents who use car-sharing services in Toronto, and that car-sharing has many benefits for the city and residents,” said City Councillor Mike Layton. “Research has shown that car-share services can reduce car ownership, which potentially leads to reduced parking pressure on neighborhood streets. I’m looking forward to seeing the positive impact Communauto FLEX will have under the city’s new pilot project.”

Communauto’s FLEX offering includes a pay-as-you-go model, and during the program launch, members will receive the first 30 minutes of their trip free for one month. If the pilot project is approved after 18 months, Communauto FLEX plans to expand the service to include 500 cars and expand the geographic area from 50 square kilometres to 100 square kilometres.

“Car-sharing technologies have the power to change how people go about their day-to-day lives and get around this city,” said John Tory, Mayor of Toronto. “I’ve encouraged the introduction of these new technologies and believe that there can be many benefits, including potentially reducing traffic and congestion by removing cars from the road.”

Communauto is the first free-floating car-sharing service to be part of the city of Toronto’s pilot program, and it was well received before its launch with more than 1000 people pre-registering for the service. Users can join the sharing community and become a member of Communauto for free with no monthly fees. To learn more about signing up, visit Communauto Toronto.