A recently launched e-bike ride sharing pilot program in Sarnia is starting to gain a lot of momentum.
Current Micromobility Inc. Owner Cory Tukeli said a soft launch was held at the beginning of September as 35 e-bikes were placed at 11 locations across the city.
He said initial feedback has been great and he's grateful for the support received so far.
"We've just been embraced by the community. I really couldn't be more pleased. We have 160 new users and we've got about 75 rentals that have already taken place," he said. "Feedback from the local community has been quite supportive, we've got about an 85 per cent approval rating so far and I only think that's going to get higher."
In May, city council unanimously approved the three-year pilot project, with staff expected to report back on its progress.
It's hoped the bikes will remain available between April 1 and December 31, but it's weather dependent.
At this time, there are no immediate plans to expand the program to other nearby communities, such as Point Edward. However, it's something Tuleki is open to in the future.
"With 11 locations, it's quite ambitious and we really want to test out different locations and see the use of it," he said. "We plan on slowly expanding and investing back into this and getting more vehicles for people to use. So it's all a testing phase right now with the pilot project -- especially in the first few months just to see what the reception is like and the usage."
The e-bikes are currently located at Howard-Watson Trail, Germain Park, Canatara Park, Clearwater Arena Bus Terminal, Mike Weir Park, Centennial Park, Rainbow Park, Tecumseh Park, and Kenwick Park. Two locations are also set up at Lambton College.
Tukeli said he hopes people take advantage of the nice weather and test the e-bikes, highlighting them as environmentally-friendly alternatives to explore the city while getting some exercise.
"I don't want people to think it's just an electric bike with a throttle or anything like that. These are pedal-assisted models, so you've got to work to get the motor working," he said.
Details about the ride-sharing program are available online at ridecurrent.ca and on Instagram.
Tukeli said "how tos" will be available.
"The first thing, initially, is to scan a QR code on one of the e-bikes and that'll get you to download the app and you can follow the prompts on there," he said.
Tukeli said he is open to hearing from the public if they have questions or feedback.
"We are a locally owned business, it's a family-run business. We care about our good neighbors and really, that's what makes up a community," he said.
E-bike rental options range from 30 minutes to a monthly pass (up to three hours per day within 30 days). Rates are available through the Ride Current App.