Yea! car-sharing scheme reaches fourth city

A car-sharing scheme that caters for people who need a vehicle in a hurry has launched in a fourth French city.

Lyon this week joined the Yea! scheme - which first started operating in Strasbourg two years ago, and now runs fleets of vehicles in Bordeaux and Toulouse - which allows subscribers to take the wheel of one of 100 identical smart fourfour vehicles whenever they need, for as long as they need.

Anyone who wishes to register for the service can do so online at yea.citiz.coop https://yea.citiz.coop/, at the office of the local branch, or by post. Full details are available on the website.

Applicants need to have their driving licence, proof of address and a RIB.

Cars can be used from €0.10 per minute, or €5 per hour for ad hoc drivers. Discounts are offered for more regular users who pay a subscription.

Nearby vehicles can be found using a smartphone app. If they are free, subscribers can reserve them, collect them from wherever they are parked - they can access the vehicle and start the engine using a personalised fob sent to them after their application is accepted - and use them for as long as they need. They then park the vehicle legally in Lyon walk away.

According to a 2016 study, a single car-share vehicle in cities and suitably large towns could replace up to 10 privately-owned ones.