By Sarah Boraas

Wartburg College’s U-Haul car-share program is working to build membership — on campus and in the Waverly community — while promoting sustainability.

“Car payments, gas, parking and car maintenance are expenses that really start to add up,” said Anne Duncan, Wartburg sustainability coordinator. “One of the main reasons for this program is for financial savings, for not only students, but also their parents.”

Launched a year ago, the program is available to the Wartburg and Waverly communities. Currently, international students are the primary users of the Toyota Prius parked behind Saemann Student Center. 

The rental is $4.95 hourly plus 49 cents a mile. After nine miles and within an hour, the price will not exceed $9.50 an hour, which includes gas, insurance, roadside maintenance and customer service. 

Problems with customer service and staff management during the summer prompted U-Haul to hire student intern Njoroge Nyoike, a senior from Nairobi, Kenya, to manage the program and promotions.

“My initial goal will be to double the number of members and make it the ‘go-to’ for weekly errands, ” Nyoike said.

To become a member, visit Uhaulcarshare.com and complete the application (a credit card is required). Users with accounts can schedule a reservation and obtain a personal identification number to enter the car via an external keypad. 

New members will receive a discount that reduces the $25 membership fee to $10 and provides $20 in driving credits. It is available by using the promo code “Njoroge.”

Drivers 18-21 must be moving-violation free to be eligible, while those 22 and over can be disqualified for having excessive-speeding tickets (10 mph or more over the limit) or drunken-driving citations, among other concerns.

“Students should use this program, because it is a simple, quick and convenient way to run errands,” Nyoike said. “It is a great way to be environmentally conscious without having to go out of your way.”