Jordan Gowling

--- STO and Communauto to expand fleet of rideshare cars in Gatineau

 

On September 16, the Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO), in partnership with Communauto, will be expanding its fleet of carsharing vehicles in Gatineau by 40 per cent. A second vehicle was added to an existing Communauto station at the Lucy-Faris Library and three additional stations will be added at the Galeries d’Aylmer, the Centre Communautaire Entre Nous and the Agora project in Plateau. In total, Aylmer should expect five additional cars to be added to the sector. 

The expansion comes from a long-term plan by STO and Communauto, a carsharing company based out of Montreal, Quebec. “The STO and Communauto are both in favour of accessible and sustainable transportation, and we believe that the cars and transit system are very complementary,” said Alexandre Meloche-Doris, responsible for public affairs at STO. 

Meloche-Doris says that as future development in different areas of Gatineau continues, there will be larger population growth and an increased percentage of transit use per household. He says Communauto vehicles may present a viable alternative for households that are considering the purchase of a second solo vehicle.

Instead of having to meet someone in order to gain access to the vehicle, riders can register online and use their STO multi-card to unlock the cars. This presents a safer method of accessing the service during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Meloche-Doris. Aylmer ridership on STO buses currently sits at 35 per cent capacity. 

In addition to the stations added in Aylmer, Hull will see vehicles added at four stations: the Centre communautaire Tétreau; 40, Boulevard Sacré-Cœur; 155, Boulevard du Mont-Bleu; and Aréna Cholette. Gatineau will receive two new stations at the Parc-o-bus Stade Pierre-Lafontaine and the Quickie, at 9 Rue Barry.