Two Bird e-scooters sit on the corner of 12th Street and Fourth Ave NE. Riders in Medicine Hat clocked more than 68,000 km on Bird e-scooters from July through October.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
kking@medicinehatnews.com
The City of Medicine Hat and Bird Canada’s e-scooter pilot program has had a successful first season, Bird Canada chief operating officer Alex Petre says.
Launched in May, the one-year program aims to provide Hatters aged 16-plus with an alternative mode of transportation to move throughout the city.
While Bird Canada has not yet provided the estimated number of riders in Medicine Hat, it did find that local riders clocked more than 68,676 kilometres total between July and October, with the average trip 3.96 km in length.
The furthest distance ridden by a Hatter in a single trip was 43 kilometres, and the most rides taken by a single user is 130 over the course of those four months.
“We love that the people of Medicine Hat are seeing the direct lifestyle benefit of having micro-mobility options available, along with the positive impact on their community,” Petre said. “Since launching this year, we’ve worked extremely hard to win the trust and respect of the cities we serve and … we look forward to another successful year.”
The program is scheduled to begin again in the spring, with an exact date to be announced at a further date.
