City delays return of e-scooters until COVID- 19 pandemic passes

Calgarians won’t be sharing electric scooters anytime soon.

The city’s electric scooter pilot program has been delayed until further notice in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two companies, Lime and Bird, each introduced their e-scooters to downtown Calgary last year as part of a 16-month pilot program. The scooters were removed for the winter on Nov. 1 and were slated to return to the streets in the coming weeks.

“The shared electric scooters (e-scooters) will be delayed until further notice in response to the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19),” the City of Calgary statement read. “The City will continue to provide timely updates on the shared electric scooter pilot here as it becomes available.”

When the e-scooters do eventually return to Calgary’s streets, it’s expected that a third company, Roll, will also launch in the city alongside Lime and Bird.

“Bird Canada is looking forward to offering the city of Calgary a safe and reliable transportation option again soon,” Bird Canada CEO Stewart Lyons said in an e-mail. “We think we can be a particularly important alternative to trains and buses in a period of social distancing once things start to get up and running again.”