MONTREAL, June 4, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Under a partnership agreement reached with ridesharing service Kangaride (AmigoExpress in French), CAA-Quebec members can enjoy an initial year-long subscription to the service at no charge.
Kangaride specializes in inter-city ridesharing all over Canada, allowing members to reduce the cost of their occasional travel. For a trip from Montreal to Toronto or from Quebec City to Gatineau, for example, a driver can offer seats in his or her vehicle to passengers who share the cost of fuel. It's a win-win formula for everyone.
"The majority of our drivers are aged between 25 and 29, and we want to expand our customer base," explains Marc-Olivier Vachon, President of Kangaride, adding: "With more than a million members, CAA-Quebec represents a community of reliable, experienced drivers that we want to attract, not only through this exclusive offer, but also by persuading them of the advantages of ridesharing. There's the excitement of meeting new people plus the benefits to the environment, and the financial advantage alone is a great incentive to try this method of travelling. Who wouldn't want to have someone help pay for their gas when they travel long distance?"
Sophie Gagnon, CAA-Quebec's Assistant Vice President, Public and Government Relations, enthusiastically welcomes the new partnership, noting: "Ridesharing is a way to save substantial amounts of money as well as to make a tangible gesture in support of the environment. With Kangaride, we are convinced our members will benefit from a service that is professional and safe."
Ms. Gagnon adds that CAA-Quebec seizes all possible opportunities to urge drivers to favour different modes of transportation when they can: "It's important for people to be able to choose the method of transportation that's most suitable for them. The key to addressing the mobility issue in Quebec is to have a wide array of options available, and ridesharing is one of them."
The free annual membership offer for both drivers and passengers can be redeemed online at www.kangaride.com/caa, and is available worldwide to anyone who is a member of an affiliate club of the CAA (Canadian Automobile Association), AAA (American Automobile Association) or ARC Europe (the leading European auto clubs). Under the agreement, passengers and drivers are also entitled to a 50% discount when renewing their membership.
A made-in-Quebec success story
After seven successful years in Quebec, Kangaride/AmigoExpress recently expanded its ridesharing service offering to all of Canada. Every week, more than 21,000 seats—the equivalent of 500 buses—are made available to inter-city travellers across the country, from Halifax to Vancouver. This exceptional service, which represents a revolution in inter-city transportation, is made possible thanks to Kangaride's 30 employees, its reliable online and telephone booking service, and a customer service centre that is open seven days a week. Kangaride also pays special attention to passenger safety, among other things by verifying the validity of drivers' licences through the relevant authorities in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia.
"The system was designed so that passengers and drivers can book easily, with confidence, and with the assurance that the ride will be offered at the quoted price, without need for negotiation, at a set departure time and pick-up location," Mr. Vachon adds. Ridesharing is thus coming back into its own as a co-operative, enjoyable, economical and safe way of getting around.
Some statistics
In 2012, the Kangaride community covered 107 million kilometres, equal to 2,666 trips around the Earth. Compared to solo car travel, the Kangaride ridesharing service helped save 4.6 million litres of gas and reduced CO2 emissions by 13,000 tonnes. Kangaride currently has more than 160,000 members.
CAA-Quebec, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1904, provides automotive, travel, residential and financial services and privileges to its 1,220,000 members.
SOURCE: CAA-Québec
For Kangaride
Jackson Wightman
Media Contact
1 866 357-8492
[email protected]
For CAA-Quebec
Montreal
Cédric Essiminy
Public Relations Officer
514 861-7111, ext. 3210
Cell.: 514 717-4040
[email protected]
Québec
Philippe St-Pierre
Communications Advisor
418 624-2424, ext. 2418
Cell.: 418 580-1633
[email protected]
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