CINCINNATI, OH (FOX19) -
The Zipcar Car sharing service officially launched in downtown Cincinnati Thursday morning.
Zipcar allows people to rent cars for a few hours or the entire day. The service has been available on the campus of University of Cincinnati but is now expanding to all residents in Cincinnati.
A membership is required to use the Zipcar service and application to become a member requires a clean driving record with no more than two moving violations or accidents within the last three years.
The new Zipcar program will launch with six
vehicles conveniently located in Downtown and Over-the-Rhine. Vehicle types
include Mazda 3 Hatchback, Honda Civic and Nissan Sentra models. Three
"pods" of two vehicles each will be located at the intersections of
12th and Vine Street, West 8th and Race Street and East Court and Walnut
Street. These Zipcars will be available to Downtown residents and workers, in
addition to the five vehicles currently available on the University of
Cincinnati campus near the Daniels Residence Hall and McMicken Circle.
Rates start at $8.50 an hour or $69 a day but includes gas, insurance and up to 180 miles of driving per reservation.
"Partnering with Zipcar here in Cincinnati
is an excellent opportunity to reduce congestion and parking demand, save
people money, and provide access for people who would otherwise not be able to
go about their day-to-day activities," Mayor Mark Mallory said.
Participating members
with smartphones, including iPhones and Android devices, may download the
Zipcar mobile application to make reservations, lock and unlock the vehicles as
well as honk the horn to help locate the vehicle. Members can also use Zipcar's
"Reserve a Zipcar" app on Facebook to view available Zipcars and
make, extend or cancel a reservation all from their Facebook account.
Reservations can also be made over the phone or by using the Zipcar
website.
For more information visit the company's web site at www.zipcar.com.
Copyright 2012 WXIX. All rights reserved.
Photo courtesy of Zipcar.com
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