E-scooter companies ready to roll this spring despite 'restrictive' policies - Action News
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Ottawa

E-scooter companies ready to roll this spring despite 'restrictive' policies

The two e-scooter companies chosen for the fourth year of Ottawa's pilot program saythey plan to be ready to roll come mid-May, even though one of the companies said ridership was down last year because ofthe city's "restrictive" policies.

New parking rules last year drove down ridership, Bird says

An e-scooter sits in front of the National War Memorial in Ottawa.
E-scooters will be back on Ottawa streets this spring after two companies got the go-ahead for a fourth year of a pilot program in the nation's capital. (Michel Aspirot/CBC)

The two e-scooter companies chosen for the fourth year of Ottawa's pilot program saythey plan to be ready to roll come mid-May, even though one of the companies saidridership was down last year because ofthe city's "restrictive" policies.

On Thursday, the city's Transportation Committee voted in favour of a fourth andpossibly second-last year of the pilot program.

The program hasn't been smooth riding over the first three years. Last year, the rollout was delayed to Julyas the companies worked to meet the city's new requirements.

Neither Bird Canada nor Neuron deployed the total number of scooters they were allowed. Ridership was also down by more than 400,000 rides compared to the year before.

Limited parking areas an issue

One of the changes implemented last year meant scooters had to be parked in designated"digital parking corrals," which one company said is behind the dramatic drop in riders.

"Ottawa is unique in having such a restrictive parking model," saidAlexandra Petre, a senior director at Bird Canada.

"It is quite a complex set of requirements that we had to meet in Ottawa last year and we know a lot of these will carry into this year."

Petre said the parking rules became too similar to a bike sharing program, which meant many people were unable to end their trips in front of their homes.

Some of the other requirements implemented last yearinclude having the scooters emit a continuous noise and restricting riders from using themon sidewalks.

A close up of an e-scooter says no riding on sidewalk.
Under new rules implemented last year, riders must finish their rides and park the scooters in designated areas. (Francis Ferland/CBC)

Neither Bird Canada nor Neuron plan to launch a full slate of vehicles right away come mid-May.

In a statement to CBC, Neuron said it plans to deploy 450 e-scooters over the season.

"We continue to see Ottawa as a great market for shared e-scooters. While use was slightly down in 2022, we expect it to rebound and be even stronger this year," wroteAnkush Karwal, head of marketforNeuron.

Bird, meanwhile, said it wouldrampup to a full slate within a matter of weeks.

"We would be very excited to be able to deploy our entire fleet, however, we are aware of the fact that some of these requirements are very strict and we want to make sure that we meet them properly," said Petre.

With files from Kate Porter