Ohio University has signed a one-year contract for a car-sharing program with Enterprise Rent-A-Car in which OU students can rent one of two vehicles starting the first day of school.
OU students can choose between renting a Ford Fiesta or Honda Civic for $9 per hour on a weekday, $10 per hour on a weekend or $35 overnight, from 6 p.m.-8 a.m. Insurance coverage is included in these costs, said Ryan Lombardi, interim vice president for Student Affairs.
“I’m excited to see how the program is received by students,” Lombardi said.
“I’ve heard a lot of great things so far but I’d like to see what everyone thinks once it gets started.”
In order to rent a car, students first have to pass the application process, which includes proving a clean driving record and providing a valid driver’s license.
Students also have to pay the $35 application fee, which will then be used as driving credit, Lombardi said.
“It’s a convenient alternative to bring your car down or if you don’t want to carpool,” said Zach George, Student Senate president. “It’s affordable and I think students that use it will get the utility out of it.”
Students will receive membership cards in the mail, which will allow them to reserve the vehicles online. Drivers will have to swipe the card to enter the car and access the keys in the glove box, Lombardi said.
Also in the glove box is a gas card that students will use to fill up the car once it gets below a quarter of a tank or less.
The vehicles are parked in parking lot 120, across the street from Baker University Center, Lombardi said. The cars has been available for use since Monday.
“That doesn’t sound bad,” said Brittany Follet, a sophomore studying biology, who was at first skeptical about the cars’ price. “I probably would only consider it, though, if I had an absolute need to get somewhere in a hurry.”
Enterprise’s agreement requires OU to make $1,100 a month in revenue. If OU is unable to meet that figure, the university must pay back the difference between $500 and $1,100.
However, if OU earns more than $1,100 each month, it is able to keep ten percent of the extra revenue.
It has not yet been determined which pool of funds will pay for the difference or profit from the surplus if either were to happen, Lombardi said.
However, the money to pay the difference could come from the revenue generated from judiciary fees, of which the office of Student Affairs has access to $2,000, Lombardi added.
Enterprise could not be reached for comment.
sj950610@ohiou.edu
