As of May 12, e-scooters could be seen around the community of Sylvan Lake available for residents and tourists to use.
The e-scooters are available due to a partnership that was launched between Neuron Mobility and the town of Sylvan Lake.
For the community being able to bring in the Neuron e-scooters was exciting, economic development officer Amanda Mercer said.
“We are excited to welcome Neuron E-scooters to Sylvan Lake and hope that our community and our visitors will enjoy getting around a little easier and maybe explore something new around our community this summer.”
There are many benefits the town is hoping to see come out of the program, Mercer added.
“The e-scooters will hopefully provide a mode of sustainable transportation which is more environmentally friendly, a reduction of traffic congestion, a cost-effective form of transport, convenience, improved health, increased tourism and job creation.”
Studies looked at by the town have shown the use of e-scooters to be effective.
“E-scooters are a cost-effective transportation option that is not only bolstering tourism access and increasing tourism spending in other communities,” Mercer said.
“They are also an option for people to get to work, visit a friend or relative, and avoid the challenge of finding a parking space mid-summer.”
Safety precautions have also been put into place for using the e-scooters.
“Safety measures such as slow-ride zones and no-ride zones have been built into the system using geofencing technology to help keep our community safe and enjoyable for all pathway users,” Mercer said.
The use of the e-scooters will be permitted on sidewalks, bike lanes, paved trails and roads with a speed limit of 50 km/h or lower.
The e-scooters will be available to rent using Neuron’s app with the cost to unlock the e-scooter being $1.15 and then after riders will be charged 39 cents per minute of using the e-scooter.
Packages are also available for individuals who want to ride for up to 90 minutes per day at a fixed price, Mercer said.
“More frequent users also have the option to purchase Neuron Passes, a subscription service, available in three-day ($25), weekly ($39) or monthly ($99) options.”
The e-scooters are currently available and will remain available for use into the late fall.
@sarahbaker
sarah.baker@blackpress.ca
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