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OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - If you're driving around the East Bay you can expect to see more of these black Toyota Prius with the signature light blue bike racks are on top as the new car sharing service, Gig, hits the road.
"Oakland and Berkeley have been the most progressive when it comes to transportation policy, so they've opened their doors up for us to come in," says Edmund Solis with Gig Car Share.
Gig says unlike other car sharing services, its vehicles are more accessible. They have a fleet of 250 cars for you to reserve in Oakland or Berkeley, the area the company calls the home zone.
To use the one way service you must first download the app and find a car near you. "The car is unlocked and you have one minute to open up the doors and five minutes to start the engine. And there's no key in the vehicle," says Solis.
That's because your phone is the key, and if there's any damage you can report it through the app.
After picking your car you have 30 minutes from the time you reserve it to pick it up. From there you can drive anywhere you want, but you must return the car to the home zone.
"Most of the trips are going to be used on a very short term basis. Its $2.50 per mile, which means for the local trip to the grocery store it probably won't cost more than $5," says Jason Haight with Gig Car Share.
If you need the car longer all you have to pay is $15 an hour or $85 for the entire day. Tolls are not included. However gas, insurance and parking at any meter two hours or longer and residential areas in Oakland and Berkeley are part of the fee.
On top of that all of the cars are Prius and Gig says the service cuts down on congestion and pollution. "Every one of these car share vehicles that get put on the road actually removes 7 to 11 vehicles in total from the road," says Haight.
The cars have two designated spots outside each BART station in the home zone.
Gig also has a partnership with Oakland Coliseum and Park and Ride at Oakland airport. So you can drop your car off and be on your way. The company is looking into expanding to San Francisco and beyond.