Bird and Neuron chosen as e-scooter vendors for Saskatoon pilot program

Saskatoon announced Thursday that the companies Bird and Neuron have been selected as vendors for the city's two-year e-scooter pilot.

This is the first time shared e-scooters will be available to Saskatoon residents.

"We believe this shared e-scooter pilot will provide benefits to our community, and we look forward to seeing it in action," says Jay Magus, the city's director of transportation.

Neuron's e-scooters became available as of Thursday, and Bird will be as soon as Monday.

The e-scooters will only be permitted to travel at a maximum speed of 24 km/h. Riders are required to follow provincial regulations, must be at least 16 years old and are required to wear a helmet.

Roads with speed limits of 50km/h or lower, shared-use paths, pathways, cycle tracks and protected bike lanes are the only approved service areas.

As for personal e-scooters, the city said it will wait until the first year of the pilot program is complete to determine whether they'll be allowed. For now, private e-scooters will not be permitted on any city street, sidewalk or pathway.

Greg Sparrow, owner of Vintage Iron Cycles in Saskatoon, which sells electric bikes and e-scooters, said e-scooters will be an overall positive for the city. 

"I think with the rising cost of fuel and the rising cost of living, people are looking for a cheaper way to get around," said Sparrow.

Sparrow said Vintage Iron Cycles has stores across Canada and has seen an increase in e-scooter sales as cities roll-out similar rental systems.

He said it will be difficult for the city to police personal e-scooters.

"It's going to be pretty tricky to decide what's a rental and what's a private scooter when there's 500 scooters in the city," he said. 

"It's going to be tough to to chase every scooter under the sun."

From an esthetic standpoint, Sparrow said the bright orange Neuron scooters might be an eyesore along the river.

"It definitely changes the look of your city," said Sparrow. "They were putting them on Spadina along the river where it's a nice river scene and now there's 10 scooters sitting on the corner."

Overall, Sparrow sees the e-scooter pilot as a good thing for the city and scooter business.

"I think it's very positive in helping people get around," he said. "Hopefully helping people save a little bit of money and hopefully drive some more business to the downtown core."