Two new vehicles are parked in downtown Sidney, available to people in need of a car to get around town.
Sidney officially welcomed Modo car sharing service on June 1 and created two specific parking spaces for the vehicles — one next to municipal hall and the other on Third Street, near the Town’s parking area south of the fire hall.
Modo’s Business Development and Community Outreach Manager in the Greater Victoria area, Nicole Huk, says the two vehicles can be used by Modo members who need transportation for a variety of reasons — and for more than just commuting between home and work.
Sidney worked with the company to get the service to town.
Town council approved a deal with Modo on May 8 to contribute around $54,000. That money came out of the municipality’s parking reserve fund — which is paid into by developers, who typically make payments to the Town in lieu of offering the required number of parking spaces at their residential developments.
The fund, stated the Town, is designed to invest in ways — like car sharing programs — to make up for that loss of parking spaces.
The two vehicles, a Honda Fit and Toyota Rav4, will be in Sidney for at least two years, during which time Modo hopes the local service will become sustainable on its own. The agreement could be extended by another three years.
To use the car sharing service, people must sign up with Modo.
In exchange they can use a phone app and electronic key fob to access the vehicles.
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