Lethbridge residents can now ride public e-scooters and bikes on the Lethbridge College campus, but with winter being here full force, Neuron Mobility has not yet seen what the demand will be for the riding area expansion.
“The snow came too soon so we don’t have much to talk about just yet but we are quite enthusiastic about this,” says Ankush Karwal, head of market for Neuron Canada. “I think it’s a great service to have for both students and staff. It’s a great way to get around town, especially for students.”
On top of the expansion, the company has introduced a 30 per cent discount for students and staff who sign up for the service using their Lethbridge College email address. Karwal says the company would like to look at more expansion in the city once winter has passed, which could include talks to allow riding on the University of Lethbridge Campus.
“This is essentially our third expansion of the riding area in Lethbridge since we launched in April 2022 and it’s just because the program has been embraced by the local and visitors so much over the last 6-7 months that we just want to be able to provide our service to more and more people throughout Lethbridge,” Karwal says.
He adds as long as the conditions allow for safe riding, the e-scooters and bikes perform well in cold weather and as long as there is demand for them, they will not be stored in a warehouse through the cold months.
“Ideally we would like to keep them out as long as we can. In Calgary last year we ran operations throughout winter, even when it was below zero, when it was cold — as long as people want to ride scooters, ride bikes, we will have them out,” he says.
How long the vehicles stay out also depends on talks with the city to ensure it is acceptable to have people using them in the cold weather. If it is deemed unsafe to allow people to ride, they can be stored in a warehouse in Lethbridge, Karwal adds.