The Moscow Department of Transport has launched a car-sharing platform, which it says is similar to US service Turo. Currently in test mode with 100 participants, the app is available on the App Store and Google Play.
Dubbed Ruli (‘Drive’), this new service allows individuals to rent their car when lying idle on parking lots. Through the app, car owners specify who — typically friends or acquaintances — should have access to the rental announcement. The rental terms are then discussed directly between the owner and the borrower.
The owner gets real-time access to the data about the car while borrowed — including its location, its speed, and remaining fuel. This data is generated by special equipment installed in the borrowed cars.
Fines are paid by the driver, i.e. the borrowers if the violation occurs during the rental time. Car owners are advised to subscribe to an insurance policy to fully cover them during the rental period.
Touting Moscow as “the most modern city in Europe,” the city authorities see in this car sharing service a way to “reduce the number of idle cars in parking lots” to a “reasonably lower” level.
“One and the same car can be used by several families living in the same yard, or colleagues or friends working in the same office,” says Maxim Liksutov of the Moscow Department of Transport.
The Ruli service is also being deployed in St. Petersburg, according to Liksutov.
Sources: Moscow Dpt. of Transport, ICT.Moscow
