Shared e-scooters arrive in Saskatoon

There’s a new option for getting around Saskatoon.

E-scooters have officially arrived.

The city announced Wednesday that Bird and Neuron have been chosen to operate the two-year shared e-scooter pilot program in the city.

Neuron’s shared e-scooters will be available to ride as early as Thursday, while Bird’s are expected to be available Monday.

Riders will pay for the e-scooter by downloading the vendor’s app.

The city amended its traffic bylaw in March to allow publicly shared e-scooters to operate in the city.

E-scooters cannot be operated at a speed greater than 24 kilkometres per hour. Riders must be 16 years of age or older and are required to wear helmets.

Riders won’t be allowed to take the scooters anywhere.

Bird and Neuron will have restrictions on where the scooters can be taken. The approved areas include pathways,  protected bike lanes and streets with posted speed limits of 50 km/h or lower. Shared e-scooters are not permitted on sidewalks.

Personal e-scooters are not currently allowed on any city street, sidewalk or pathway. However, the city said it will re-evaluate the use of private e-scooters in 2024 following one year of the pilot program.

More information on the shared e-scooter pilot can be found on the city’s website.

Regina city council also has approved the use of e-scooters in the Queen City. That program is to start in July.