CarShare Atlantic announced Thursday that its clients in Halifax are getting an improved service with the addition of one-way car-sharing.

The company said in a statement that it would add the first group of 20 hybrid FLEX cars to its fleet in coming weeks. The new FLEX vehicles can be picked up and dropped off at any location within a set geographical area or in special parking locations downtown. Until now, cars have had to be returned to the spot where they were picked up.

CarShare Atlantic members will be able to locate FLEX cars on the smartphone app or on the website, block it for free for 30 minutes to give them time to reach the vehicle. Once they’ve used the car, they can leave it somewhere else, on street or in special parking depots in the operating zone.

“We are proud to offer the best of two worlds: a station-based car-sharing service, perfect for planned trips and FLEX Carsharing: ideal for spontaneous one-way trips around town,” said Pam Cooley, President of CarShare Atlantic.

The 6.3-square-kilometre “FLEX zone” takes up most of peninsular Halifax. Members will be able to travel in and out of the zone, as long the car is brought back and parked in the zone or at designated drop off parking locations downtown like at Scotia Square. The Flex zone includes the participating Waterfront Development parking lots.

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All CarShare Atlantic members are automatically eligible to use this service. New members will be able to join the FLEX service without the need to pay for an annual or monthly membership (a one-time fee of $35 is payable at registration) and use FLEX cars at a price of 41 cents per minute or $12 an hour including 100 kilometres for free.

Halifax is joining the select club of cities worldwide that recognizes that the investment of station-based and one-way car-sharing contributes to them achieving their multi-modal mobility strategy and environmental goals.

CarShare Atlantic is a partner of Communauto, the network of car-sharing services in North America, which helped CarShare Atlantic to develop this project.

“We are proud to accompany CarShare Atlantic, first in the Maritimes, in the implementation of this new mobility service, said Communauto CEO Benoit Robert in a statement. “This service will make it even more compelling for residents to combine transit, active mobility, taxi and car-sharing for their mobility needs.”