Almost 30 years after he introduced the concept of car sharing in Canada, Benoît Robert has been recognized for it by being invested into the Order of Canada.
Benoit, President of Montreal-based Communauto, which he launched in Quebec City in 1994, received the news earlier this month that he was among the latest appointees, who are honoured for their extraordinary contributions to the country. Robert was recognized for his contributions to the development of the car sharing industry and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Communauto is the first and oldest car sharing company in North America.
“I have no idea who nominated me, it was a real surprise,” said Robert in an interview with Canadian auto dealer. “It’s an important distinction in Canada, it’s the most important civil distinction. I was very happy (to be inducted), not just for myself but more for car sharing in general.”
He started the company with three cars. Communauto now has 5,000 vehicles, including nearly 3,200 in Quebec, specifically 2,800 in Montreal. The service is also available in some cities in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and B.C., in some cases in partnership with companies that use Communauto’s technology. The company expanded to Paris, France in 2012. There are plans to expand into the U.S. at some point.
“We’re not marginal anymore,” said Robert. “We’re one of the largest in the world doing car sharing. Before we expand to other cities, we want to take the time to digest the expansion we went through in the last few years. We exist for environmental reasons to improve the urbanisms of our cities.”
Robert has been approached about selling the company but said he refused because it would mean losing control of the organization and what it represents.
“We will always be profitable,” said Robert. “We have a lot of advantages that make us a very good target for investors. We have some investors, but I still have the majority of the shares because I don’t want to sell the whole company.”
Robert said he is hoping that being inducted into the Order of Canada will draw attention to his company and its desire to allow members to drop off the cars anywhere in cities where the service is available as opposed to the same spot where the car was picked up. Benoit said some cities have restrictions for leaving the cars that have designated residential parking restrictions.
