Brisbane adds GoGet to public transport network

BRISBANE has become the first Australian city to have a car-sharing service integrated into its existing public transport network.

GoGet, Australia’s first and largest organisation of its kind, this week launched in the Sunshine State with an initial fleet of six cars, each of which can be accessed via the city’s existing Translink electronic ticket, called a ‘go’ card.

This means that GoGet subscribers in Brisbane can use the same card they use for the city’s bus, train and ferry services on the service’s fleet of vehicles, which at launch is limited to two CBD locations with four Toyota Yaris cars and two Hyundai i30 wagons.

The GoGet service allows subscribers to access its fleet of cars, which are located in various locales – including street parking and designated garages – across Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and now Brisbane, via a swipe card (or the ‘go’ card in Brisbane).

Members book a car online by the hour, collect it and return it to the same place. No keys are required as the swipe card allows a person to unlock and start the vehicle.

Left: GoGet co-founder Bruce Jeffries.

The company pitches its service as an alternative to personal car ownership for inner-city residents by allowing members to have access to cars on the rare occasions they need one without having to pay for fuel, licensing, servicing and parking.

GoGet will offer each new Brisbane member a free ‘go’ card preloaded with credit when they sign up.

Co-founder Bruce Jeffries said the company would now look to integrate its service with public transport infrastructure in other states.

“Brisbane hasn’t just joined other Australian cities by welcoming car-share, it’s actually leap-frogged all capital cities by allowing Brisbanites to have a truly futuristic, completely integrated transport card,” he said.

“We believe that Brisbane will lead all Australian cities to eventually adopt this innovation.

“Obviously, it will take time with some of our cities, but now people can point to Brisbane and say ‘they’ve provided the roadmap for how it can be done’.

“As far as we know, the only other place this level of service exists is in Europe.”

GoGet spokesman Jonathan Englert told GoAuto that the company was likely to look next at syncing its services with Melbourne’s public transport system, since it is currently the only other major city with a centralised card for all forms of public transport.

The ‘Myki’ card in Melbourne works on the city’s trams, trains and buses.

Mr Englert said GoGet would eventually expand its Brisbane fleet beyond current levels to better reflect the range of vehicles it already offers in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

The company has more than 20,000 members and a fleet of 800 vehicles, most of which are Yaris and i30 models, but also includes the Toyota Prius, Mini Cooper, Alfa Romeo Mito and Toyota HiAce van.

Last month, GoGet announced an alliance with Bosch Australia to station a Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric car and charging point in a Melbourne residential tower.