GIG Car Share will be sorely missed

The familiar black GIG Prius cars with the blue and black bike racks will no longer be seen throughout the inner East Bay. GIG Car Share announced that by the end of this year the service will be no longer.

“Since launching GIG Car Share, we have continuously evolved our offerings based on member feedback and demand,” GIG wrote in an email to its members. “Despite our best efforts, there have been challenges — primarily around decreased demand, rising operational costs, and changes to consumer commuting patterns.”

Over 250 of the cars are presently found scattered in East Bay and San Francisco neighborhoods available to open up with a smartphone, with the rental fee deducted by credit card. During the 2-year pilot period, GIG reported some 8,000 trips originating in El Cerrito. It is a wonderful service for those who prefer to live without a personal car, or be relieved of needing a second car for the household. It is easy to find a car in a short walk, which is just enough effort to persuade you to hop on a bike or walk for really short errands yet knowing that you can use GIG cars for longer trips or for shopping for large items. We applaud GIG for offering this service while it did. Now we need to think about how to replace it. — Steve Price