The Car2go car-sharing company with thousands of users in Toronto will stop operations in Toronto next Thursday, May 31. Car2go issued a bitter statement blaming City Council for the “overly restrictive” free-floating car-sharing pilot program passed in April. It’s about parking, of course. Car2go wanted users to be able to park shared vehicles in residential areas. “City councillors have passed a heavily restricted pilot that ultimately weakens mobility options for Torontonians,” said Car2go North America CEO Paul DeLong in the news release.
New City requirements for the Car2go pilot will forbid the use of almost 10,000 parking spaces where users usually pick up or leave Car2go vehicles. DeLong also complains that Toronto will require a parking permit of $1,499.02 per vehicle. In an open letter he said calling the move a disappointment would be “a huge understatement.” The company is owned by Daimler North American Corporation. Some may wonder whether the decision is in fact a power play on the part of Car2go.
