Photo courtesy of Bird Canada / website

By Liam Verster

Micro-Mobility Service

New e-scooter provider to serve Vernon

Jan 10, 2025 | 3:09 PM

Update Jan. 13

Bird Canada was selected as Vernon’s micro-mobility service provider as it was considered to have the best growth options.

City staff told Vernon Council at the regular meeting Monday, Jan. 13, that there were multiple bidders, and Bird came out on top, saying there have been technological advancements made in the past few years and the city hopes the company would be able to address issues seen with e-scooters in the past such as parking and pick-ups.

Staff said Bird also indicated it may offer discounted or free rides to select users, and was the only bidder that indicated it was interested in expanding its service to provide e-bikes along with the electric kick scooters.

Bird and the city signed a contract to provide the micro-mobility items for 2025, with an option to have the company serve Vernon residents and visitors in one-year terms in the future.

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That contract would allow Bird Canada to provide e-scooters and e-bikes in Vernon until the provincial pilot program ends in April of 2028.

— Original Story —

The City of Vernon will have e-scooters available for the public in 2025, though they will be provided from a different company.

A report to Vernon City Council stated the procurement process for the shared micro-mobility service had been completed, and Bird Canada was selected as the provider.

A contract between the city and the company was signed and took effect January 1, 2025.

The report stated the contract includes an option to extend for three additional one-year terms, as allowed under the B.C. Government’s electric kick scooter pilot program.

The Bird e-scooters will roll out in Vernon when weather conditions permit, likely in the spring.

The e-scooters were previously provided by Neuron Mobility.

The city conducted a survey on the use of the e-scooters, which was presented to Vernon City Council in February of 2024.

The survey found 85 per cent of the public e-scooter users were from Vernon; that 71 per cent of rides replaced trips that otherwise would have been taken in a vehicle; and that only nine per cent of riders reported any injuries.

Neuron Mobility also reported in November of 2023 that riders in Vernon travelled over 675,000 on the scooters in the three years it had operated locally.

The company also said 70 per cent of rides resulted in a direct purchase from a local business, with a local average $30 spent by riders, which amounted to over $4.5-million spent at local businesses during that period.