Where are these electric scooters across Moncton coming from?
Halifax business owner moves to Moncton with his fleet of e-scooters
Electric kick scooters or e-scooters are popping up on Moncton streets like wildflowers this spring.
There's about 250 of them in total, with 150 already scattered around the city, according to the company.
Steven McArthur is Moncton's new resident and the owner of Move Scooter Rental.
"I specifically moved me and my family to Moncton just to operate the scooter company here and bring a means of fun and transportation to the city," he said.
McArthur's company operated in Halifax for three seasons and decided to move to New Brunswick when the city of Halifax brought in a bigger company on contract for their e-scooter and e-bike pilot project.
He said there are no bylaws restricting him from starting an e-scooter rental in Moncton — so he went ahead and dropped 150 scooters across the city — without seeking any permissions.
"It's a grey area and we did the same thing in Halifax. The people loved it ... we had a few people that didn't like the scooters, but you are going to get that with any business," he said.
McArthur said the tri-community's population is good for his business and he is already recording about 150 rides each day.
A spokesperson for the city of Moncton declined an interview.
"The City is currently carrying out an Electric Mobility Strategy study that may lead to a review of by-laws to clarify the rules around e-micromobility devices," Aloma Jardine responded in an email Tuesday.
The study is expected to appear before council by the end of June, said Jardine.
The current "use of the streets" bylaw for Moncton does not mention the words electric scooters or e-scooters.
"Sidewalks are for pedestrian use only, and the City's roads do not presently support the e-micromobility vehicles as per current road infrastructure," a city official wrote in an email to CBC last fall.
The response also noted that the city was not ready to engage in a partnership on these services and when the time comes, the city will follow an open and competitive process inviting interested proponents to participate.
McArthur said he does not plan to reach out to the city of Moncton but wants to work with them and is waiting for them to contact him.
"If they can just send us an e-mail to work with them and not be angry about it. You know, and understand that we're trying to provide a means of travel. We're trying to provide fun for the city," he said.
When asked if he was nervous about operating in a grey zone he said, "That's how I operate man, that's, I mean, you gotta risk it to get the biscuit, right?"
Monctonians are seeing them across downtown and around other parts of the city. Many seem curious to give them a try.
"I think it could be really good for the people who work around downtown on Main Street and stuff for them to have an easier way to commute because parking and walking far isn't the best in time," said Miles Babin.
When asked if car owners would have to be extra careful driving around these scooters, Babin said he expects it to be similar to sharing the road with cyclists.
Jeff Grandy said he plans to take a scooter for "a late night excursion" at some point, but has not given one a try yet. He said these scooters are common in Charlottetown, P.E.I, where students and tourists use them for late night outings.
"It seems like something fun to do at night, and especially if you can't get a cab," said Grandy.
McArthur said people can locate and rent his scooters through his company's app for a couple of dollars, followed by a standard fee for every minute.
He said the rider has to be over 14 years old, wear a helmet at all times and not ride on the sidewalks.
Currently, riders are expected to bring their own helmets. But McArthur said he plans to buckle 190 helmets to his scooters, which will be size adjustable and could be unlocked using the app.
When ending a ride, the app prompts the rider to submit a photo of the parked scooter to ensure it is off of sidewalks and streets, he said.
He said the app has AI technology in the works that will prevent people from parking in inappropriate places Until then, he and his team move the scooters when somebody reaches out.
"There's going to be a lot of people that aren't happy with where they're parked, but if they want to send us an e-mail, and, we will, you know, zone out the city accordingly and work with them to make it work."
McArthur said he is already working on designing parking, speed limit and no-go zones that will help make the service safer.
"We are also going to be offering an informational thing soon, probably weekly, to give people a chance to get on the scooter and to be able to learn more about how it works and the rules of the road," he said.
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