QUEBEC CITY, March 14, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - CAA-Quebec is partnering with Communauto, the North American car-sharing pioneer, to promote the many benefits of the practice to new drivers. Under the partnership, students at CAA-Quebec's four Driving Schools will be entitled to a free one-year Communauto membership once they receive their driver's licence.
As of February 2016, student drivers at CAA-Quebec's Driving Schools, located in Montreal, Pointe-Claire, Brossard and Longueuil, can sign on free of charge to Communauto's Open Plan. They also have the option of applying the dollar value of the Open Plan to any other subscription plan.
Another step toward sustainable mobility
"Car sharing is definitely part of the solution when it comes to promoting sustainable mobility," says Hamid Rekouane, Director, Driving Schools, CAA-Quebec. "Plus, young drivers are already an attractive demographic for awareness-raising, since they're already partial to the concept of the sharing economy. So this partnership between Communauto and our Driving Schools is a natural one."
For more than a decade, young people have been gradually shifting away from the idea that motor vehicle ownership is a necessity. In the 1990s, 76% of people under 30 in the United States said they owned a car; today, that number has dwindled to 69%.
"New consumer habits are emerging, with more and more people believing that using a product is more important than the fact of owning it. This explains the surge in popularity of car sharing in the past several years," says Marco Viviani, Director, Development and Public Relations, Communauto.
Interestingly, car-sharing practitioners use motor vehicles four times less often than people who own them; conversely, they choose cycling or public transit twice as often.
Real savings
Although the price of gasoline has plummeted recently, the cost of owning, maintaining and using a motor vehicle remains high: at least $7,000 per year. Communauto's car-sharing solution is therefore an excellent fit for young drivers, particularly those in major urban centres. With that in mind, CAA-Quebec and its network of driving schools are now offering students not only quality driver education, but also as-needed, affordable access to automobiles.
About CAA-Quebec
CAA-Quebec, a not-for-profit organization, provides all of its members with peace of mind by offering them high-quality automotive, travel, residential and insurance benefits, products and services.
About Communauto
Communauto, the oldest car-sharing company in North America, was the first such organization on the continent to make fully electric vehicles available to members, and to offer two types of service (round-trip and free-floating). Today, it owns some 1,800 vehicles worldwide, shared by more than 40,000 subscribers. The Communauto network extends from Montreal to Ottawa-Gatineau, Sherbrooke, Quebec City, Halifax and Paris, France. The company has a social, environmental and urban focus.
SOURCE CAA-Québec
CAA-Québec, Montreal, Anne-Sophie Hamel, Communications Advisor and Spokesperson, 514 861-7111, ext. 5478, Cell.: 514 717-4040, [email protected] ; CAA-Québec, Quebec, Rébecca Salesse, Communications Advisor, 418 624-2424, ext. 6011, Cell. : 418 563-4590 ; [email protected] ; Communauto, Brigitte Geoffroy, Public Relations Advisor, 514 499-2956, [email protected]
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