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

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.

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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.