http://radio.wosu.org/post/all-electric-hopper-carts-start-offering-free-rides-short-north
[links and images in online article]
All-Electric Hopper Carts Start Offering Free Rides In Short North
By Sam Hendren • Apr 27, 2017
Two young entrepreneurs think a mobile app and a small cart can help
solve traffic congestion and parking problems in the Short North and
downtown Columbus.
In front of Standard Hall, with city officials looking on, Tomas Mughan
and Chris Potts rolled out two of their four Hopper Carts. The carts are
small electric vehicles that can shuttle a half-dozen people at a time
through busy city streets.
Mughan says they believe the Hopper Cart concept really fixes problems.
"Lack of available parking downtown and the Short North hinders access
to jobs, it creates an inefficiency for time and it makes it more
difficult for local businesses to operate to their full potential,"
Mughan says.
Mughan and Potts founded the company in late 2016, and their website
claims the company will save the city over 27,000 gallons of gas every year.
People can hail a Hopper Cart using a mobile app, and all rides are
free. Hopper Carts are underwritten by corporate sponsors, whose
advertising will fund the venture.
