Kelowna decides to give rent-a-bike program a spin
Hundreds of bikes to be deployed on city streets this spring in 18-month trial
Rent our bike, but bring your own helmet.
Kelowna city council on Monday endorsed a new bikesharing scheme that will see between 500 and 1,500 bikes deployed on city streets by April 1.
While showing enthusiasm for the program in general, particularly because it comes at no cost to the city, councillors wondered whether Dropbike, the company providing the service, would also be offering helmets to customers.
The answer is no, staff said, for reasons of both safety and hygiene.
It’s possible a helmet might have been damaged in a previous incident, city staff explained, and that could make it more of a liability than an asset in the event of another accident.
As well, there are issues surrounding hygiene with multiple people using the same helmet, councillors heard.
Coun. Charlie Hodge pointed out that city bylaws require the use of helmets, and he wondered if the city might be exposed to liability issues if it is seen to support a service that rents bikes without also offering helmets.
Again, staff said no. That’s because the situation is similar to that which exists with car rental agencies; although the law requires the use of a child car seat, it is up to the people who rent a vehicle to ensure their children are using an approved car seat.
Those issues aside, council was pleased to support the 18-month trial by Dropbike as a way to encourage the wider use of more environmentally friendly transportation. Bike rental rates will start at $1 an hour.
“It’s a brilliant idea, I think, to bring this forward,” Coun. Luke Stack said.
“This is really exciting,” Hodge said. “The bikes look great.”