Peg City Car Co-op to accept learner’s permit drivers

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This article was published 19/03/2024 (657 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Peg City Car Co-op is opening its doors to junior drivers.

On Tuesday, the Winnipeg company announced it will allow those with a learner’s permit to operate its shared vehicles, provided they’re following provincial law.

The new drivers must be at least 16 years old; members with full licences must add the novices to their own accounts.

“We wanted to figure out a way to lower those barriers to entry,” said Michelle Panting, spokeswoman for Peg City.

The organization aims to reduce private car ownership. Integrating youth, among other new drivers, can bolster car-sharing enthusiasts of the future, Panting said.

Peg City Car Co-op has been growing annually: it’s membership now stands around 4,000.

The co-operative plans to purchase another 20 to 30 vehicles over the next couple months, adding to the 135 it already counts.

“We are definitely growing more and more, year by year,” Panting said.

Peg City informed members of the new beginner’s program via email Tuesday. People adding a learner’s permit driver to their accounts must pay a $500 deposit.

They’ll get the $500 back once all drivers in the account obtain their full licences, barring no accidents or missed payments, Panting added.

Beginners have limited Peg City membership — no fob or app access, unlike drivers with full licences.

They can, however, use the co-operative’s vehicles for their individual road tests.

Organizations can provide vehicles to people practising driving and taking road tests as long as there’s a “licensed and qualified” supervising driver in the car at all times, Manitoba Public Insurance spokeswoman Kristy Rydz stated Tuesday.

The vehicle must also be properly insured, she added.

Earlier this year, Peg City rolled out a program for drivers with their intermediate licences (the stage before a full licence). When the co-operative began, it required members to be adults with a full licence and at least three years of driving experience.

“When we first started (Peg City), it was much more… people who were born and raised in Winnipeg,” Panting said. “Our demographics have changed.”

An increase in immigration — and newcomers unable to access their past driving histories — caused Peg City Car Co-op to change course.

In 2023, it began allowing members who couldn’t provide a three-year driving history.

The new program integrating beginner drivers into the co-operative is the last in a number of planned changes making Peg City more accessible, Panting said.

Peg City application waivers for 5L drivers (beginners) are available on the co-operative’s website.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com