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Zipcar to shut down in Brussels next month

21:08 22/01/2019

Car-sharing provider Zipcar is quitting Brussels at the end of next month - after struggling to meet its growth forecasts.

Zipcar's fleet of 250 "free-floating" hire cars, which are booked using an app, will cease to be available from midnight on 28 February, the company announced.

Subscribers should have received an email on Tuesday informing them that their contracts will be cancelled.

Brussels mobility minister Pascal Smet said the decision to close the service had been made by Zipcar's majority shareholder, car rental firm Avis. Paris and Barcelona are also affected.

"It seems to be dictated by economic reasons but we will be interested to know exactly what prompted Avis to make this decision," Smet told reporters.

Last year, Zipcar saw a 75% increase in the number of journeys booked compared with 2017. The company had doubled its subscriber base over the same period, but was still not profitable.

"We continue to believe that car-sharing plays a vital role in the future of mobility," Zipcar said in a statement. "Our business model continues to perform well in many locations."

The brand is present in more than 500 cities worldwide and plans to "continue to invest and grow", the statement said.

Written by The Bulletin

Comments

paradox

never heard of it

Jan 23, 2019 07:03