Hopes high that new car-share service to be rolled out in Limerick city centre by Easter

THE local authority says it’s “hopeful” that a new car-share provider will have “something on the ground” in the city by Easter.

News of the potential roll-out of a new scheme comes after GoCar withdrew its service from public streets last year amid reports of increased anti-social behaviour and vandalism affecting its fleet.

GoCar still has a presence in the city with a reduced number of vehicles - all of which are stationed at private locations.

The matter was raised at the February meeting of the Transport and Travel Strategic Policy Committee by David Tobin who sought an “update on the car-share scheme and operation of the same within Limerick.”

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Mr Tobin said having a car-share service is important for residents, as people “don’t always have the option of public transport for everyone and every trip they want to make.”

He highlighted the value for college students, low-income households and those who are aiming to live more sustainably.

In response, Natasha McGarry, senior executive engineer with the council, said the local authority is “keen to get back into the city” and was “disappointed at the previous provider’s decision to reduce capacity” in the city centre.

She said the original pilot had “worked well for a number of years” and she noted that vehicles remain available at retail parks and service stations with the nearest being located at Lidl on the Dock Road.

Ms McGarry said attempts to secure a new provider went to the open market twice but did not attract any bidders.

However, she confirmed the council is engaging with a new operator and that “talks are going well” and that they are hopeful of having vehicles operating on public streets by Easter.

Social Democrats councillor Elisa O’Donovan said she had a “serious issue” with how GoCar handled the reduction, describing it as a “huge loss” for the city.

She questioned the explanation given in the company’s press release, noting there were “issues long before” the sudden removal of the fleet.

Cllr O'Donovan referred to the number of complaints received and she expressed concern that some European providers may be reluctant to enter Ireland, given the “monopoly” that currently exists.

“Everyone is missing out because of this,” she said.