E-scooter firm touts more than 40,000 users in city
More than 40,000 users stepped aboard e-scooters during a threeand-a-half-month test in the city this summer, one of the scooter companies says.
Bird Canada said users racked up more than 160,000 trips on the experimental vehicles.
“Bird Canada's e-scooters were used by a vibrant mix of daily commuters, tourists, and locals running errands,” Bird Canada said in a release.
The average trip was more than three kilometres.
The provider also launched a street team to “educate riders to ensure they were aware of local rules and to answer questions.”
The scooter test ran into speed bumps in the early days as users
Bird Canada's e-scooters were used by a vibrant mix of daily commuters, tourists and locals running errands.
were unsure where to park the devices.
The rental e-scooters don't return to depots when people are done with them.
A cornerstone of the business model is that customers can conveniently drop them off near their destinations.
E-scooters must be parked in the furniture zones of the sidewalk where benches and trees are usually located.
The devices must be out of the way of people using the sidewalk.
The city is also eyeing onstreet parking spaces to turn into e-scooter corrals.
Bird is one of three companies approved by the city to run e-scooter rental services. The other companies are Lime and Roll.
The city, for now, has capped the total number of rental e-scooters available at 600.
The National Capital Commission doesn't allow e-scooters on its pathways.
The City of Gatineau also isn't a permitted area for Ottawa-based rented e-scooters. E-scooters will stop working if they touch NCC or City of Gatineau land, thanks to geofencing technology.