The city has decided to try another season of Bird e-scooters.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
kking@medicinehatnews.com
Bird Canada and the City of Medicine Hat’s e-scooter pilot program is set to return for a second year beginning next week.
Launched last May, the collaborative program, which Bird Canada funds and operates and the city provides framework for, aimed to enhance transportation within the city on a micro-scale.
“It is another way for residents and visitors to see and explore our city,” Medicine Hat mayor Linnsie Clark said at the time.
While the program was initially slated for one year, it earned positive reception from community members, leading to its extension.
“We received lots of positive public feedback during the first year and saw substantial uptake of the e-scooters,” said Scott Richter, business and innovation manager with the city’s park and recreation department.
“As we move into the 2023 program with Bird Canada, we are eager to explore how e-scooters can continually be integrated into Medicine Hat’s micro mobility landscape.”
The e-scooters are expected to return next week, weather dependent, and can be found in various areas across the city.
The program will operate as it did last year, with a minimum age requirement of 16 and stipulations that the e-scooters must be parked in areas not obstructing the flow of vehicular or pedestrian traffic.
To operate the e-scooters, riders must download the Bird Canada smartphone app, scan the QR code located on each e-scooter, unlock the given e-scooter and then start a trip.
Each trip costs a minimum of $1.15, then has an additional fee of $0.35 per minute of usage.
The e-scooters operate at a maximum speed of 20 kilometres per hour, though the speed is automatically reduced to 10-15 km in several high-traffic areas throughout the city.
Helmets continue to be recommended for riders. Riders may request via the app that a helmet be mailed to a home address at no extra charge, thanks to a partnership between Bird Canada and Medicine Hat’s Brain Injury Relearning Services.
For more information about the program or the e-scooters, contact Bird Canada at hello@bird.ca or 1-866-205-2442.
