Residents in the North Carolina city of Raleigh can now take advantage of hourly car hire.

Wednesday saw the release of a new car sharing program between the city and leading car rental organisation Enterprise Rent A Car, with the key target market those residents who do not have a vehicle of their own who still need to make short drives around the district.

The launch of the new Raleigh initiative is the latest in the successful Enterprise’s WeCar program, which features at hand rental solutions for all short-term driving needs, and is highlighted by 24/7 availability. Founded in 2008 as a service for business and college campuses, the initiative has spread quickly across 17 different states across the US, with Raleigh joining St Louis and Nashville as the only cities in the country to use a public-access version of the program. The system was labelled a hassle-free solution to getting around town by vice president of WeCar operations, Ryan Johnson.

To utilise the services, members will need to register through the WeCar program website, from which they will receive a membership card that is used to access the vehicle after it has been reserved online. An onboard computer keeps the keys to the vehicle locked in the glove box, which can only be opened by using the membership card. There are two new versions of the popular Honda Civic that are available for immediate use by members, and these can be located at the West Condominiums on Harrington Street or the Enterprise office on South McDowell Street. Annual membership is $50 plus an application fee of $20, with rentals costing $10 per hour thereafter.