Vancouver car co-op could lose out at city hall

A pioneering Vancouver car-sharing co-op is raising concerns about the possibility that a city car-sharing contract may go to an American-based firm.

Officials at Vancouver city hall recently put out a call for bids to run a car-sharing service for a fleet of 40 vehicles.

So far, two private American companies, ZipCar and Flexcar, have expressed interest.

The founder of Vancouver's Co-operative Auto Network doesn't think the non-profit group should have to fight for the contract.

Tracey Axelsson said CAN, the first co-op of its kind in North America, should have been the natural choice to supply the new city fleet.

"For me, sustainability means support local, at the very outset of all things. You know, if you can buy a B.C. apple or a California apple, if you really want a sustainable economy, you buy the B.C. apple."

But Sean Pander, the city's climate protection program manager, said the contract could potentially be worth $100,000 and needs to be open to the competitive process.

"We want to ensure we are getting the best value for the citizens, as well as we want to maintain some transparency," he said.

CANsupplies cars on an as-needed basis for a yearly membership fee. It has nearly 3,000 members, said Axelsson.