Hamilton CarShare, the city’s non-profit carsharing co-operative, is now able to accept drivers as young as 21 years old as CarShare members. Before, only drivers as young as 23 were able to join, which was frustrating for young people interested in carsharing.
“I first looked into carsharing several months ago and was disappointed to hear about the minimum age, so this is a very exciting development for me,” said Sand Moshi, the co-op’s first 21-year old driver, and a student at the University of Waterloo.
“I think this will be popular for many students because a lot of us are on a budget, but with CarShare we can get occasional car usage at low cost,” he said. “I’ve already booked a few trips and can’t wait to see more of the region now that I have car access.”
With Hamilton CarShare now insuring younger drivers, more university students and young people will be able to choose sustainable modes such as cycling and transit more often, since a car will be available to them when they need one.
“Young people are getting licensed at an older age than they have for decades, and are simply not as interested in vehicle ownership,” said Jason Hammond, president. “With this lower age restriction for CarShare drivers, many of today’s youth may never own a car.”
When Hamilton CarShare began operating in 2009, drivers had to be at least 23 years old. The age requirement for driving CarShare vehicles is set by the co-op’s insurance company.
Hamilton CarShare provides access to its four vehicles on a self-serve, pay-per use basis. By filling in the gaps with occasional car use, the co-op helps support the use of greener transportation
modes such as transit and cycling. Members reserve vehicles that are located across the service area at self-serve stations, often near home or work, and on transit routes. Overall, driving is reduced,
helping members to improve their personal and financial health, while mitigating climate change and increasing neighbourhood vibrancy.
More information can be found on the co-op’s website, www.hamiltoncarshare.ca
