GoCar, the pay-as-you-go car rental firm, has said that it's going to invest €1 million in upgrading and expanding its fleet of cars, as well as expanding the number of locations from which you can collect and drop back a vehicle.
700 sites across the country
The company says that the move is to expand and improve its services in line with an increase in demand seen since the ending of Covid 19 restrictions. By the end of this year, GoCar wants to have a 15 per cent expansion in the number of sites it operates from, bringing the total to 700.
Having started, unsurprisingly, as a largely urban-based operation with locations in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway, GoCar is now expanding fast in smaller cities and towns, with multiple locations throughout counties Kilkenny, Wexford, Waterford, Kildare, Meath, Louth, Mayo, Wicklow, Westmeath and Kerry.
900 cars will be available
At the moment, the company has 860 cars on its instant-rentals fleet, and that is going to rise to more than 900 with this new investment. GoCar says that it has seen a five per cent rise in demand for its services compared to 2020.
Paul McNeice, Head of Country for GoCar, said: "It's fantastic to see demand for car-sharing among the general public on the rise and as a result, we are determined to make it as accessible as possible for consumers across the country. For many households, GoCar presents a reliable and important alternative to car ownership and is a really cost-effective solution for daily transport needs including commuting, shopping, recreational trips, staycations and more.
Sustainable transport
"National preference and attitudes towards private car ownership and sustainable transport are constantly evolving, and now, more than ever before, people are re-evaluating their individual transport requirements and considering flexibility, cost and importantly, environmental impact. To this effect, we hope that our investment in the national expansion of our car-sharing fleet will provide an effective transport solution for more people looking for alternative transport options."