Category: Communauto

Categories
News Quebec

How does a “station zone” work?

Unlike a regular station located in a fixed location, a “station zone” is an area on the map visible in the Communauto app. Developed in collaboration with the City of Montreal, this initiative was part of a pilot project that tested the feasibility of this new type of station.

The vehicles at these stations are parked on the street and can be located anywhere within the boundaries of the zone. They do not have fixed parking spots. Therefore, using the Communauto app is necessary to find a reserved vehicle in a station zone.

The perimeter of these stations is small enough to be quickly crossed on foot.

Station zones can be identified in the app by their unique icon. To know the area covered by a station zone, you just need to click on its icon.

The reservation

When making a reservation, you will not see the exact position of the vehicle that will be assigned to you; you will only know the zone within which it will be located when it comes time to use it.

Before starting the trip

When the time comes, use the app to locate your vehicle. It will be displayed on the map up to ten minutes before the start of your reservation (if it is already available).

At the end of the trip

At the end of your trip, you simply need to release the vehicle within the boundaries of the station zone in a location that is not subject to restrictions. Since the vehicles at these stations are equipped with the same parking permits as FLEX vehicles, the same rules apply for on-street parking. For more information, consult the FLEX parking guide.

Need a reminder? Check the station info
A summary of this information, as well as a map illustration of the area covered by the station zone where you reserved your vehicle, are available in the station info (accessible during your trip by clicking on the station’s name in the Communauto app).

Where to park: a reminder of the rules

Just like FLEX vehicles, station zone vehicles give you the right to park in spaces reserved for holders of a resident parking permit.

At the end of your trip, you must pay close attention to signage to avoid places that are metered or subject to restrictions (even temporary ones), including those that will come into effect in the future. The only exception to this rule concerns restrictions for street cleaning purposes. In this case, you have the right to release the vehicle in a location on the condition that you can leave it there until the end of the next day (11:59 PM).

Here is a summary of the parking restrictions that you must comply to (places where it is not possible to end a trip):

  • Snow removal zone;
  • Loading zone;
  • Metered parking zone;
  • Time-limited parking zone;
  • Temporary no-parking zone, even if it is not in effect at the time you park (schools, parks, bus lanes, etc.);
  • Street cleaning zone if the prohibition starts before the end of the next day (11:59 PM).
Categories
Communauto Tips and Tricks

The reservation grid is in the app!

The long-awaited moment has arrived: the reservation grid is officially integrated directly into the Communauto app. You asked for it, and we’ve developed it!

Now, at a glance, you can see the start and end dates/times of reservations for all vehicles at a station. Super convenient, right? It’s perfect for last-minute reservations because, if you have some flexibility, you can adjust your selection to slip in between two reservations!

Please note that only reservations starting within the next 72 hours give access to this tool. 

In addition to being available in your online account, you now also have it at your fingertips in the app. Here’s how it works:

For more information on round-trip vehicle booking, please visit our FAQ.

Categories
Communauto News Quebec

Fall 2023: Availability of vehicles and new cars

While cars proudly displaying the Communauto logo seem to be increasingly present on the streets of Montreal, the summer of 2023 will be remembered as a period when the availability of our vehicles was once again put to the test. Although it is encouraging to see an improvement compared to the previous year, thanks to the significant addition of several hundred new vehicles, the situation remains fragile: some car manufacturers struggle to meet the demand from commercial fleets, including Communauto.

More than 750 new vehicles in Montreal

Believe it or not, this is the number of cars that were added to our fleet in Montreal alone before the end of August. This expansion comes with a variety of models to better meet the needs of users. You can now access a range of vehicles, from compact cars to more spacious models, including minivans. Discover them: the Chevrolet Bolt, Hyundai Tucson or Venue, and the Kia Carnival.

Only 60% of the ordered new vehicles have been delivered

However, despite the impressive number of new cars, at the end of August, the delivered vehicles represented only 60% of the desired vehicles to meet the demand. Montreal and all the other cities served by Communauto still lack several hundred cars.

Manufacturer-imposed quotas

Faced with this situation, it is legitimate to wonder how this is possible, especially when we see that advertising for the purchase of new vehicles is ubiquitous, and accessibility to buying cars by individuals continues to grow.

The answer lies in the quota policy implemented by car manufacturers for commercial vehicle fleets. This policy aims to avoid saturating the used car market. In times of new vehicle shortages, sales destined for commercial fleets are the first to suffer.

It is essential to understand that this situation not only affects Communauto, which, in comparison to other organizations, is not doing so poorly and should continue to improve in the short term.

Nevertheless, we are continuing to make additions and work to add more vehicles in 2024.

Fewer station zones and more FLEX

It is important to note that even though demand for reserved vehicles may peak on weekends and during holiday periods, our FLEX service remains available. Sometimes, a little advance planning or a few minutes of waiting is all it takes for a FLEX vehicle to be within reach.

The cost of using a FLEX car is often very similar to that of a round-trip car. You can easily estimate the costs of the different rates available via the calculator on our website.