CHENNAI: Commuters heading out of metro stations can now rent a car and drive themselves to their destination instead of waiting for share taxis or auto rickshaws, as Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has tied up with Zoomcar, a self-drive car rental company. The company started the service on Tuesday on a trial basis by parking 15 cars at Thirumangalam metro station . This car rental service comes as an addition to the share cabs, autos, bikes and bicycles provided by CMRL as part of last mile connectivity.“It is an effort to provide commuters an option to choose from when they step out of a metro station. Depending on the feedback, we will extend these self-drive rental cars to other stations,” a metro rail official said.Commuters can rent from a wide range of cars from Ford Figo to Tata Hexa on an hourly, daily or weekly basis. To rent a car, they have to register either on Zoom car’s mobile app or through their website. An official with Zoom car said commuters registering for the first time will have to pay a deposit of 5,000 and upload a copy of their driving license after choosing the location and the preferred car. The company also offers packages depending on the distances travelled and with or without fuel option.“As of now, commuters can only opt for a round trip and return the car at Thirumangalam station as the service is now available only in one station,” the official said. The cars are tracked through GPS to ensure safety of passengers. The Bengaluru-headquartered company introduced its service in Chennai in 2015 and at present has a fleet of 250 cars. At present, CMRL provides share autos and share taxi options in 13 metro stations, operates vans from Alandur metro to DLF Porur and Phoenix Mall in Velachery, bike and bicycle rental services and cab services through aggregators.

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