Quebec, October 10, 2019 – In a press conference on October 10th, the Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC) and Communauto, a pioneer in America as the manager of the oldest and one of the largest carsharing services, announced a new partnership. Reserved spaces in certain Parc-O-Bus (POB), the location of stations and free-floating cars in real time, the reservation within the real-time RTC Nomade application and the creation of an “integrated package” will be gradually rolled out until spring 2020 for the benefit of customers. This is an important milestone in integrated mobility.
M. Rémy Normand, President of Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC) and M. Benoit Robert, President and founder of Communauto
Integrated mobility will allow everyone to choose their mode of transport adapted to the sector where they are, the conditions of the moment and the type of travel, all on the same digital platform. This partnership with Communauto is therefore significant for urban mobility, be it for the supply of services, infrastructure, pricing and customer information.
“Since it was founded in 1994, Communauto aims to offer alternative modes of transportation and the RTC has been working with this organization since 2004. Its vision is directly aligned with the RTC’s vision of offering a selection of mobility solutions. In fact, in its Strategic Plan 2018-2027, the RTC clearly identifies Communauto as a key player and we are very proud to have taken this step, which truly marks the first stage in the development of integrated mobility in Quebec City.” – Rémy Normand, President of the Réseau de transport de la Capitale.
“Today’s announcement marks a new milestone for multimodal mobility. In particular, the “integrated package” is a unique initiative, among the first in the world. We are delighted that this project is born thanks to the involvement of the RTC. For carsharing to have all its benefits, it must be paired with a well-established public transportation offer. Moreover, it becomes more relevant when modes of transport such as carsharing are added in, hence the importance of this initiative.” – Benoît Robert, president and founder of Communauto.
Details of the new partnership
From now on, parking spaces will be reserved for these shared vehicles in eight (8) local and regional POBs. This is one more step towards integrated mobility, an objective precisely defined in the RTC’s Strategic Plan 2018-2027.
Starting this fall, the first component of the partnership will focus on two identified parking spaces for Communauto carsharing vehicles in five local and one regional POB. These are the POB’s 41e Rue / 1re Avenue, Carrefour Les Saules, Jardin zoologique, Promenades Beauport, Pie-XII (corner Quatre-Bourgeois) and Le Gendre. Then, upon their opening, future POB’s Bastien and Sainte-Anne will also include these two spaces.
The main point of the agreement is the integration of Communauto’s data into the real-time RTC Nomade app, the mobile application of the RTC which notably allows the viewing of real-time schedules and the creation of itineraries. Starting this fall, the user will be able to locate Communauto stations as well as free-floating vehicles (FLEX cars) on the map of the mobile app. Booking will also be possible from the application’s interface in the winter of 2020.
To support this new partnership, the RTC will offer an “integrated package” that will include a monthly general RTC ticket for a given month and 10 FLEX Communauto trips of 30 minutes or less. It will be available in the spring of 2020, at a cost of $99.
Finally, Communauto improves the DUO Auto + Bus by adding the free late return. The DUO Auto + Bus already allows members to have the RTC L’abonne BUS and the subscription to an advantageous Communauto carsharing plan. In order to facilitate certain trips for members, the free late return will allow them to keep the car at night at no additional cost (11 p.m. to 7 a.m.).
About the RTC
The Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC) transports more than 155,000 different people each month in the Greater Quebec City area. It operates a fleet of nearly 600 buses, several of which are hybrid and air-conditioned, which run on 134 routes and serve more than 4,500 stops, including 20 temperate stations. It employs more than 1,600 people in its two operation centres and offers real-time schedules on all its routes thanks to the range of real-time RTC Nomade tools. Transportation tickets meeting all needs are available in nearly 170 outlets throughout the agglomeration of Quebec City.
About Communauto
Founded in Québec City in 1994, Communauto is the oldest carsharing service in North America and the one serving the largest number of communities in Canada. It is also the first company in Canada to offer its customers a large fleet of 100% electric cars and to create offers combined with public transportation services. Present on two continents in 14 cities (Edmonton, Toronto, Kitchener / Waterloo, Hamilton, Guelph, London, Kingston, Ottawa, Gatineau, the regions of Montreal and Québec, Sherbrooke, Halifax and Paris in France) with a fleet of 3000 vehicles, it is one of the few operators in the world able to offer its customers access to vehicles available with or without reservation. Studies conducted in recent years show that each carsharing car replaces, on average, ten private vehicles in Québec.
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Source
Brigitte Lemay
Public Relations Advisor
Phone: 418-627-2351, extension 5160
Email: brigitte.lemay@rtcquebec.ca
