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Red River Rides offers accessible transportation option in St-Pierre, RMs of Ritchot and De Salaberry https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/rural-electric-car-share-program-9.7...
For many people in rural Manitoba, buses, taxis and public transit are simply not an option.
But a new car share program, which features a fleet made up entirely of electric cars, is working to make getting around a bit easier.
Red River Rides launched in February this year in the village of St-Pierre-Jolys — about 50 kilometres south of Winnipeg — and the neighbouring rural municipalities of Ritchot and De Salaberry.
The three municipalities are jointly operating what they call the "community-based" program, and say it's the first fully electric rural car share program in the province.
The car share allows residents in those regions to book one of 10 vehicles — including electric SUVs, vans and trucks.
Tina Bubenzer, the chief administrative officer for the Village of St-Pierre-Jolys, says the lack of public transit in rural communities can make it hard for many people, including seniors, students or newcomers, to get around. She thinks the car share will help.
"Rural communities are a great place to live and raise your family. You have quality of life here," Bubezner said.
"The village is growing and we want to continue to make the village an accessible option for different people to come and live."
The car share can also help address affordability issues, she said.
"A student can use this vehicle … to make transportation affordable for them to go to university."
Bubenzer said it's taking some time for people in St-Pierre to adopt the program, but the village is holding information sessions about what the car share is and how to use it.
The program is open to anyone in the participating communities who has a regular Class 5 driver's licence and is over the age of 18.
Users download an app that allows them to make bookings, up to a month in advance, and also unlocks the vehicles.
The first three months are free, and users can then choose between a $5 per month or $20 per month subscription, based on how frequently they plan to use the vehicles. They then pay an additional usage charge based on either how many hours or kilometres the vehicle is used for.
There are public Level 2 charging stations — higher-voltage chargers that charge vehicles much quickerhttps://www.cbc.ca/news/science/level-2-ev-charging-1.7527822 than standard power outlets — in several communities within the municipalities, including Île-des-Chênes and St. Adolphe.
Funding for the program comes from all three levels of government, but Bubenzer said partnering with other communities has been valuable in rolling out the program.
Rural Municipality of Ritchot Mayor Chris Ewen said he was skeptical at first about whether residents would adopt the program, but he's now "full force" behind it, after hearing positive feedback from community members and taking part in the program himself — despite owning two vehicles of his own.
He hopes the car share will make it easier for more people to consider life in the country.
"I have seen missed opportunities with immigration, where people are looking at living in larger hubs because they don't have the availability of a vehicle," Ewen said.
"If we can kind of cross that off their concerns, that's one step closer to [them] becoming a member in rural Manitoba."