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Carsharing comes to Warsaw

PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle 17.09.2014 09:18
Poland's capital city may have a short-term car rental system starting from 2015.

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photo - Wassini/Wikimedia Commons/CC

The authorities of the city of Warsaw are about to launch a tender for the operator of a short-term car rental, or carsharing, system, the first of its kind in Poland. Similar schemes are already in operation in various cities around the world.

The investment will be worth more than ten million zloty (around 2.5 million euro). It is yet unclear whether the money will come from the city or the future investor.

The system is meant to be available to registered users paying a regular fee. The prices are yet to be set, but Łukasz Puchalski from the city hall told daily Rzeczpospolita that they should be attractive enough to discourage Varsovians from using their own cars.

There will be at least 300 vehicles available through the scheme. They will be either electric or hybrid engine cars.

The system should not only reduce traffic congestion, Puchalski said, but also reduce air pollution.

It should also be more profitable for the city that the bike rental system Veturilo, which is already in operation. In the case of the bikes, revenues cover only 30-40 percent of the costs.

The tender is due to be announced at the end of this year. According to Rzeczpospolita, Fiat and Daimler are interested in participating. Each of the companies has already built similar networks in other cities.

Wrocław will probably be the second Polish city to have a carsharing system, though on a smaller scale than the capital. A company called GoGet plans to launch it next year.(kw)

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