By Taylor Blewett, Ottawa Citizen, March 18, 2023
If last year was the make-or-break season for Ottawa’s shared e-scooter program, then city staff have given companies Bird Canada and Neuron Mobility passing grades.
Next Thursday, the transportation committee will consider whether to green-light a fourth season for the zippy, historically contentious devices. With council and committee’s blessing, scooters could hit the streets as early as May 15 and return in 2024 for a fifth year without needing another council approval.
The city implemented an “aggressive” set of restrictions and requirements on the two e-scooter operators allowed to participate in the program in 2022 following complaints about sidewalk riding and haphazard parking that dogged previous seasons.