UCLA Transportation Services will unveil a new program this
quarter allowing students to rent cars on an hourly basis.
The program will begin by positioning three cars on campus, one
each in Lots 2, 6 and 7. Any student, staff or faculty member over
age 21 can pay $5 to subscribe to the service. Members can reserve
a car over the telephone or over the Internet and pay $7.50 per
hour for the rental.
“This service offers a great solution considering you
can’t house everyone’s parking,” said Joseph
Vardner, a representative for the undergraduate student
government’s transportation advisory board.
UCLA decided to go through with the plan after examining similar
programs at other college campuses such as the University of
Washington and the University of Southern California. Washington,
which began the program about five years ago and currently has
around eight cars available for rent, has found the system
enormously successful.
Flexcar, the company that leases cars to these colleges, has
rental services across the country but is based on the West
Coast.
UCLA Transportation Services negotiated with the company to
secure a lower rate for campus customers than the rate the company
usually charges to initiate customer accounts.
UCLA acts only as a mediator between Flexcar and customers,
meaning Flexcar will reap any profits and sustain any losses
associated with the program.
The program will begin with two four-door cars and one two-door
mid-size car as its first three UCLA vehicles. In addition, Flexcar
will cover insurance, maintenance and gas. The customer is
responsible for any tickets incurred during the rental period.
Insurance has proven a difficult limitation for the program
because most insurance companies will only insure people age 21 and
older. Transportation Services is looking to find a company willing
to reduce that age minimum to 18 years.
Vardner decided to pitch the idea of bringing Flexcar to campus
to Transportation Services after he received substantial positive
feedback from students.
“At UCLA, you have carpools, vanpools, and buses, but
“¦ if you have something you need to do during the day, you
have no mode of transportation other than renting a car, which is
around $40,” Vardner said.
He added that it is “a great way for students to be able
to see Los Angeles, especially if they get turned down for parking
at UCLA.”
Conor Johnston, a fourth-year history student, said the program
is especially fitting for a city like Los Angeles, where public
transportation is often limited and cumbersome.
“Los Angeles is the perfect city to institute this
program,” Johnston said. “There is lots to see, but
students often have a difficult time taking advantage of what the
city has to offer because of transportation problems.”