RYD, a new mobility service, officially launched in the resort in May.
The brainchild of Queenstowner Jason Roberts and James Ma, the fleet of Hyundai Kona EVs can be hired by the hour — casual rates are $19 per hour, or $9 an hour between 8pm and 6am, with daily, weekly and monthly capped rates also available — giving users the freedom to only pay for what they use.
At present, there’s a car each at Sherwood, Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Hilton Queenstown, Holiday Inn Queenstown Remarkables Park, and the Remarkables Park Town Centre, available for visitors and residents to hire.
Users download the RYD app, register for free and have their licence validated.
They can then reserve a car in advance, or immediately, using the app, which will also unlock the car when they get to it.
Once they’ve finished their jaunt, drivers return the car to where they picked it up from.
The concept launched in Auckland last year, where they’re used by a block of apartment owners.
“The goal we’re trying to achieve in Queenstown is not only to encourage and create awareness among the community and the visitor community, but also the business community to try and get support for other locations,” he says.
To that end, they’re seeking expressions of interest from anyone in the Whakatipu who’d be interested in having a car located on their premises.
Business development consultant Derek Melnick says RYD can help alleviate congestion and parking issues.
“If people stopped the reliance on everyone needing their own car, and people could share cars, then we’d have less cars coming into town.”
In Queenstown, Melnick says the most popular use to date’s been to take people between Queenstown and Frankton, and to Arrowtown, but notes it’s also “really practical” for visits to Wānaka and Cromwell, for example.
“And it’s got an online diary system, so you can pre-book the car weeks in advance if you need it.”
