VIDEO: Scooters scarce after being curbed by council

Relying on scooters to get around town will be a lot tougher now.

Council has ordered the companies to pull back on both the number of e-scooters available and where they're allowed to scoot.

Once they were everywhere, but now e-scooters are hard to find in Kelowna.

"The number of e-scooters that a company can have has been limited," said Mayor Colin Basran. "Not only city-wide but also, there's a number they can have downtown."

He spoke with KelownaNow about the new restrictions council imposed on the scooters.

Those restrictions took effect as of July 1st.

They have also been prohibited on Kelowna's downtown waterfront walkway, and nighttime scootering is no longer permitted.

"The restriction is, I believe 10 pm," said Basran, "because we're trying to stop people from being intoxicated and then hopping on one and getting hurt."

The companies have also been asked to employ technology that can detect when you're riding on a sidewalk.

"If it's riding on a sidewalk and the detection equipment is working properly your machine stops," said the mayor.

Not all companies have this technology available, which will further reduce the numbers.

Last month there were over a thousand e-scooters on the streets of Kelowna.

Now each company limited to 150 and some unable to comply with some new technical requirements, there are just a few hundred scooters left.

"Once they are able to get that technology implemented, they are able to re-apply for a licence," he explained.

Basran understands that council's demands have made it harder for people who like to use the scooters and the companies that rent them.

"They know the roll-out hasn't gone well," he said, in reference to the companies.

"Some have been more cooperative than others, but it's just the way it has to be, trying to find a balance between allowing a new technology in our community but also making sure everybody is safe."

Basran acknowledges the e-scooters are a lot more difficult to find as a result of the changes and said the whole program will be up for another review at the end of the summer.

"...to decide whether we want to continue the program, whether we want to shelve it, or whether we want to modify it again."

Maxine DeHart, Charlie Hodge and Brad Sieben are the biggest opponents to the e-scooters on council.

They voted against the motion that allowed the companies to continue the program even under the new restrictions.