Kamloops councillor wants to pave way for car sharing

Kelowna is the only Interior city with a carsharing program, but a Kamloops city councillor wants to add the Tournament Capital to that list.

Coun. Nancy Bepple wants the city to make cut down barriers to car sharing, potentially paving the way for a company taking root in Kamloops.

Her notice of motion, which council will debate, March 24, wouldn’t have the city provide the service. Instead, she’s suggesting the city give preferential parking and incentivize developers.

Aside from the Metro Vancouver area, other cities like Kelowna and Nanaimo have similar policies. Kelowna has already hosted carsharing programs for more than a decade.

Modo, a co-op that operates in the Okanagan and elsewhere, includes recurring membership fees then charges per trip. It aims to “free” drivers from private car ownership, according to its website.

Bepple’s motion proposes staff examine options like reducing parking requirements for developers in exchange for carsharing vehicles, free on-street parking spots and data-sharing agreements with carsharing companies.