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.