Does car sharing cost less than owning a vehicle?

IT COSTS MUCH LESS. Saving money is one of the best things about RCS: members never have to worry about the cost of insurance, maintenance, repairs or even gas! You'll be billed monthly on a per-use basis. Drive less; pay less!

CAA Driving Costs 2008 Edition puts the total cost of driving a Cobalt LT at $8440.50, or 70.3¢/km if driven 12000km per year.

Car sharing can save you thousands of dollars every year!

How do I drive an RCS vehicle?

Apply for a membership. The "Join" form needs to be printed and mailed with a cheque or money order and your Drviver Abstract and license copy. You'll get a membership number and key code in your email once approved. You simply take your new key to the chosen vehicle after booking it on our website, drive the vehicle, and return it to the same parking spot when finished.

Is car sharing a new idea?

"Car sharing first appeared in Europe in the 1940s. As of 2007 Canada had 13 car sharing programs and almost 34,000 members sharing 1,499 vehicles, according to carsharing.net" (Alive, October 2008). In July 2009, that number grew to over 54,000 members sharing 2046 vehicles and 16 car share organizations.

How do I access the Forum?

Begin at Forum on the front page. Find the register link and follow the directions. You'll get a confirmation email. Return to Forum and click login.

Is car sharing the same as renting a car?

For day-to-day use, car sharing is cheaper and more flexible than renting. Self-serve online booking allows drivers quick, easy access to vehicles day and night, for durations as short as one hour.

How does car sharing help the environment?

When individuals change their habits en masse, big changes can happen for society and the environment. When you join RCS, you'll lower your emissions, decrease your fossil fuel use, and reduce your use of municipal infrastructure. It also facilitates other ways of getting around like transit, biking and walking.

Is car sharing similar to carpooling?

Car sharing is more flexible. You simply book a vehicle online, use it, bring it back before your reserved time expires and document your mileage in the log book. You don't have to have anyone else with you in the vehicle to "car share".

What's a co-op?

When you join RCS, you become a share-owning member of the co-op. This means you - and the rest of the members - are part owners of the whole organization. RCS' mission is to provide maximum financial benefit and service to you, the shareholding member.

How much will car sharing cost?

The bottom line is that using a shared car saves many drivers thousands of dollars a year.

Other Canadian car shares vary in their rates. CATCO (Calgary): minimum $7/hr & $0.25/km; CAN (Vancouver): $2.50/hr, + sliding monthly admin fee + sliding per km charge.

As of December 2009, RCS has set the hourly rate at $3/h and distance rate from $0.45/km to $0.15/km depending on hours of use per month. View our current rates here.

How does car sharing work?

Global Regina posted a video about Regina Car Share Co-operative on their website under "Global Regina Stories" - Car Sharing story. The video explains how it works. (Sadly the video is no longer available as of April 2010)

There's also this useful video from CBC's The National which explains a car sharing organization in Quebec.

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