It appears people aren't following the rules when it comes to Bird e-scooters in Windsor.
Bird Canada CEO Stewart Lyons says the company has made the decision to lock the scooters between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. after receiving a number of complaints about patrons riding on sidewalks, not wearing helmets and double-riding.
Lyons says it just comes down to safety.
"They're using them a ton, which is great, but we also have to make sure that we enforce the rules correctly because we do want to make sure that no one gets hurt," he says. "These things, for whatever reason, tend to occur more in the late evening and early morning."
Lyons says they don't plan to keep the limitations in place forever.
"As soon as we get the education piece solved, which is not unusual, it's a new market, people are excited. We're coming out of lockdown so people are trying to get out and do stuff. We've just got to make sure that no one acts silly at 2 a.m. on a scooter," he says.
Lyons says, for the most part, the program has been a success.
"The mayor and council have been supportive and we're based in Ontario so Windsor is important to us. So we want to make sure that we have a long-term relationship with the city and that people understand how to use them responsibly and that we're a partner to Windsor and Windsor is a partner to us," he adds.
The Bird e-scooter pilot project launched in Windsor earlier this month.
The program was temporarily suspended after more than a dozen scooters were stolen within the first few days — Lyons says since the initial launch thefts have slowed down.