“Yes, it is possible” to live without a personal car with two children in Montreal, argued Valérie Plante on Monday, announcing an expansion of the Communauto car-sharing service.
Mme Plante herself lived this way before becoming mayor and obtaining a company vehicle, she revealed.
“Yes it is possible, it is possible to have two young children without having a car, but you have to have options,” she argued, emphasizing that her home was located in a central district, close to two metro lines and car-sharing stations. “We were able to raise our two children: go to the arena, go grocery shopping and all that. » Mme Plante has been a Communauto user for over 25 years.
The idea is not to say: everyone do like me, because when you are in Lachine, Rivière-des-Prairies or another out-of-the-way neighborhood, the public transportation options are much more limited. You have to have options.
Valérie Plante, mayor of Montreal
The mayor announced at a press conference a significant expansion of the Communauto service in Montreal, where 1,100 additional cars should be on the road by the end of the year.
“Communauto is a leading partner in reducing the number of cars on our roads, considering that each self-service car replaces between 7 and 11 vehicles,” said the mayor. “We are very proud to offer Montrealers additional, fast and efficient transportation options. »
Benoit Robert, the president of Communauto, described the meteoric growth of his company in recent years. Approximately 14% of Montreal households used car-sharing services last year for a total of 95 million kilometers, or nearly 2,400 times around the Earth.
Mr. Robert also announced that Communauto users will now be able to abandon or borrow self-service cars in Lachine, in specific areas. This is the 17the district of the metropolis to benefit from the service.