Kelowna bringing in more e-scooters, e-bikes

Kelowna residents will have more alternative modes of transportation to access this year.

The city has bolstered its Bikeshare Micromobility Permit Program by bringing in Lime e-scooters and Spin e-bikes.

These two companies join the ROLL e-scooters previously available in the city.

All three of the services can be accessed through mobile apps.

“Our Micromobility Permit Program uses emerging technologies to make it easier for people to get around, helps take cars off the road, and provides people with an affordable, low-carbon transportation option.” said Cameron Noonan, Transportation Planner with the City of Kelowna.

“Spin and Lime are committed to the safety of all network users, and we are happy to be partnering with them to continue this pursuit.”

The city has fleet caps and restrictions in place, which include not having more than 30 per cent of an operator’s fleet downtown, maximum speed settings, and prohibiting riding downtown from 10:30 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Additionally, all three companies must provide helmets with the transportation devices; conduct safe riding education campaigns, training events, implement safe rider scorecards and prevent intoxicated riding; provide new generation e-scooters with more advanced safety features including enhanced sidewalk riding detection, double kickstands, and swappable batteries.

The city also has specific regulations related to the use of the shared e-scooters and e-bikes, including requiring helmet use when riding; an age requirement of 16 and over; not allowing the use of e-bikes or e-scooters when intoxicated; and parking the devices in areas that do not block other road or sidewalk users.

The City of Kelowna has granted both Lime and Spin two year operation permits.