E-scooter season ends in Regina for 2023

The snowstorm that hit southern Saskatchewan on Tuesday scuttled scooter season in Regina.

Neuron – one of the two companies renting e-scooters in the Queen City – announced that Wednesday was the last day to rent one of its products.

The company said in a release that riders travelled 165,000 kilometres on its scooters since Neuron launched in Regina in June. Neuron said the average trip was 2.9 kilometres long and took 17 minutes.

According to a survey done by the company, 54 per cent of all scooter rides in the city took the place of travelling by car. Neuron estimated that eliminated 14 tonnes of carbon dioxide, reduced congestion, and supported the city’s sustainability goals.

“We are thrilled that Regina’s residents and visitors have embraced our shared e-scooter program in its first season,” Mayor Sandra Masters said in the release. “These e-scooters have not only opened up new opportunities for folks to commute and explore our city in a sustainable way, but have also made a significant contribution to our local economy.”

The company’s survey found that half of all of the trips on its scooters resulted in a purchase at a local business, with an average of $50 spent per trip. Based on that, Neuron estimated each of its e-scooters contributed $16,800 to Regina’s economy, for a cumulative spend of $4.2 million per year.

“Additionally, 11 per cent of trips wouldn’t have happened at all if the e-scooters weren’t available, meaning local businesses would have missed out on valuable sales,” the release said.

“When asked where they spend money during their e-scooter trips, 21 per cent of riders said they made purchases at a restaurant, bar or café, 19 per cent at shopping venues, and 17 per cent at a recreational venue like a gym or a local event.”

The company’s research found 77 per cent of riders used the scooters for leisure and recreation, exploring cafés, restaurants and the city, 25 per cent rented them to run errands, and 24 per cent employed them to commute to work or school.

The data showed the downtown, Wascana Park and REAL District were among the top locations to start or end a trip.

The survey also found the scooters were most popular among 16- to 24-year-olds (30 per cent of all riders) and 25- to 34-year-olds (30 per cent). The riders were 58 per cent male and 37 per cent female, with four per cent identifying as other or not saying.

“We are delighted by the uptake of our e-scooters in Regina,” Ankush Karwal, Neuron’s general manager in Canada, said in the release. “Already they have become an important part of the local transport network and are being embraced by a wide range of users.”