Tulane Shuttles and Transportation’s rental car partner Enterprise Rent-A-Car has rebranded its previously existing WeCar program using the name CarShare and increased the number of vehicles available on campus to Tulane University students and faculty. 

Individuals can sign up for the CarShare program online for $35, and the fee is then converted into driving dollars that can be put toward trips. After receiving a membership card in the mail, members can reserve the Toyota Priuses online hourly for $10, by day for $60 or overnight for $30, then use their cards to gain access to the vehicles. The fees include insurance and gas. 

Shuttles and Transportation Manager Brian Lowe said CarShare offers students a convenient and affordable way to take group trips or get across town. 

“If you split the cost between four friends it costs little to nothing,” Lowe said. “If you want to take a road trip, it’s super cheap and you don’t have to rely on chartering a bus or someone else driving.”

The university has had the program on campus for the last five years, but the recent rebranding increased demand for the vehicles and, in response, Enterprise increased the number of cars available from two to five. Four are stationed on the fifth floor of the Collins C. Diboll parking garage, and one is stationed at the downtown medical center garage. 

Lowe said the program is great for universities like Tulane because it allows anyone 18 years old or older to drive and accepts international students’ driver’s licenses. 

“They’re very popular at universities,” Lowe said. “Obviously, Tulane’s not the only university that does this program. We meet regularly with Enterprise, giving them feedback. They give us reports on how many cars are being rented and so forth, so it’s a good relationship.”

Sophomore Carey Schafer said the program will be especially beneficial to underclassmen because of the cars’ location on campus and the low age restriction.  

“I don’t have a car down here, so it would definitely make my life easier for taking trips,” Schafer said. “It’s convenient that the cars are on campus and I don’t have to be older to use it.” 

Lowe said he looks forward to seeing how much the program will grow. 

“We’ve really had no complaints,” Lowe said. “Part of what they hang their hat on is the ease and flexibility they have. There’s nothing easier than going online and scheduling a car.”

Until the end of October, individuals can purchase a membership for $10 and reserve cars at an hourly rate of $5 by using the promotion code Fall2014.