E-scooters return to the streets of Ottawa today, kicking off another season of electric scooters across the capital. Bird scooters were spotted at several locations in downtown Ottawa Monday morning, including on Elgin Street and on Rideau Street near the Rideau Centre. Ottawa has agreements for Bird and Neuron Mobility to offer e-scooters for rent on city streets. According to Bird’s website, e-scooters are available from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily in Ottawa. The e-scooter program deployment area is bounded by St. Laurent Boulevard in the east, Rideau River/Carling Avenue in the south, Churchill Avenue in the west and the Ottawa River to the north. The rules for e-scooters include: Ottawa Public Health strongly recommends all users wear a helmet to reduce the risk of injury. The Ottawa Police Service issued a media release on Monday to remind riders and the public about the rules for operating e-scooters safety. “We get a lot of questions about how to operate an e-scooter; the same rules and safety precautions for bicycles apply to e-scooters,” said Sgt. Josh Callaghan in a statement. “Be safe, wear safety equipment, and watch out for vulnerable road users like pedestrians and children.” Police offer the following tips for using e-scooters: Police say riders who are found using their e-scooters on sidewalks are subject to a $150 fine. Last year, Neuron said riders clocked over 220,000 kilometres on their scooters cross Ottawa. The longest single trip on a Neuron e-scooter was 28 kilometres.
