Âé¶čAV should continue to allow a competitive e-scooter sharing market while beginning a search for a lone e-bike-share service provider, staff told council on Monday (Feb. 1).
In June 2020, council requested staff devise a report on the implications of offering exclusivity to a single provider to handle all of the cityâs e-mobility sharing programs â both e-bike-share and e-scooter share. This would prove challenging, staff said Monday, as currently only one company currently offers the services in tandem.
As a result, active transportation co-ordinator Matt Worona suggested the city allow e-scooter share programs to continue as it previously did through summer 2019 with a competitive market built by several providers. While the city wouldnât incur any financial penalties in cancelling those permits to allow for a single provider, it could hurt the cityâs reputation with service providers, Worona told council.
âHistorically, the City of Âé¶čAV has allowed and encouraged competition in the private delivery of shared transportation services â think taxis, ride-hailing, car-share,â Worona said, adding that the âfluxâ of the industry could cause service interruptions if given to a single company.
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However, Worona said offering exclusivity for e-bike-share services could pique operatorsâ interest, which is lacking under the current application system.
Council agreed with Worona, directing staff to come back with an amendment to the cityâs micro-mobility program which would allow operators to apply to become the cityâs exclusive e-bike-share provider. The amendment would not affect operations for rental programs.
While e-scooters are not currently allowed on city streets, the provincial government is expected to soon amend legislation to change that â until then, e-scooter services wonât return to Âé¶čAV, staff said.
Currently, all mobility sharing programs in the city remain suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email: michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com
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