E-scooter and e-bikes roll into Ajax

Ajax has become the latest Durham Region community to roll out shared e-bikes and e-scooters.

These shared electric transportation options have recently taken Canadian urban centres by storm. The communities hire a company to maintain and collect the vehicles. Meanwhile, riders can hop on anyone they find while out and about and leave them at their destination.

Oshawa rolled out such a program in April which has proven a great success. By July Oshawa’s riders had put 100,000 kilometres on the scooters. Brampton’s program has likewise been very popular with 8,000 tips recorded in the first week.

However, while popular, the scooters are not without detractors. Some on city council were adamantly opposed to the program from the beginning. Their calls to end the program grew even louder after Kaitlyn Pollack, 20, was struck and killed by a pickup truck in May. However, these have fallen on deaf ears and the city has stood by the program throughout the summer.

Ajax has noted the popularity of such programs and launched their own on Oct. 2. They hired Bird Canada, which also supplies some of the Oshawa vehicles, to maintain the e-bikes and e-scooters.

“Residents need more ways to get around, and electric kick scooters and pedal-assist e-bikes offer convenient transportation options, for people without access to a car and who do not live near transit. Electric kick scooters and pedal-assist e-bikes are also useful for people who may not have the physical capacity to use conventional bikes and scooters,” the town wrote.

The ultimate goal of Ajax’s program is to “reduce the number of vehicle trips within Ajax by providing alternative modes of transportation; assess the risks of shared e-scooters and e-bikes on TOA trails; increase access to essential services, programs and opportunities within Ajax; and collaborate with people with disabilities to help build a culture of respect.”

“The Town is committed to continuing to evolve and work towards providing a more sustainable future for all. I am glad to see our partnership with Bird Canada, as we start to implement this program for the Ajax community and allow for eco-friendly alternatives to transportation. As the Town becomes more familiar with e-scooters and e-bikes provided by Bird Canada, we will begin to see less traffic and safer streets,” said Mayor Shaun Collier.