Ottawa's E-Scooters Are Getting Delayed & You May Have To Wait A Hot Minute To Ride
Postponed meetings are only one of reasons for the delay.
Person on an e-scooter. Right: Parked e-scooters in a park.
If you live in Ottawa, you may be wondering when you can hop on the bright green, orange and black e-scooters this year. Or perhaps why the scooters haven't been blocking your paths just yet. But that's because they've been delayed.
The City of Ottawa said there are several reasons why its Electric Kick Scooter Pilot Project has been stalled, including an extended consultation with the Accessibility Advisory Committee.
This time last year, Ottawa's e-scooters had already hit the roads. More specifically, according to the CBC, they were already in people's way in late May 2021.
The city told Narcity that the 2021 e-scooter report was moved from a meeting scheduled in February to one in March. Discussions were also two weeks behind schedule because of a cancelled council meeting.
"Additionally, as a result of the extended length of the 2021 e-scooter season approved by Council, staff required further time to complete data analysis and finalize all recommendations in time for the originally-scheduled report in February," said Heidi Cousineau, program manager for Ottawa's Neighbourhood Traffic Calming, in an emailed statement.
Ottawa has recently seen a higher demand for e-scooters for e-scooters. The city stated that most people use the e-scooters to run errands and go to social events, appointments, restaurants and even work.
In October 2021, the city reported that over 123,000 riders took over 452,000 trips that year between the 1,200 shared e-scooters on the road from the companies Bird Canada, Lime and Neuron.
But the city also admits to receiving complaints about the e-scooters being ridden on sidewalks where they weren't supposed to be and, of course, where they've been frequently parked — just about everywhere.
Cousineau says that the proposal process for the 2022 e-scooter season started back in March. However, as of right now, the city is selecting which e-scooter companies will be approved for this year. Cousineau said the city will give an update "in the coming days."
"The date for the official launch of the season is being determined and will be shared once more information is available," she said.
So, fingers crossed that they come sooner rather than later but also that they won't just be lying all around town.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.