Lime ridership in Kelowna tripled in last full year of pilot project

People have been hopping on and off Kelowna, B.C.’s, supply of Lime e-scooters and bikes in record numbers, according to the company.

According to their figures, 78,000 riders took over 555,000 trips on Lime e-bikes and e-scooters in 2023 Kelowna, marking a 190-per cent  increase in rides and a 67-per cent increase in riders compared to 2022

Since Lime launched in April 2021, more than 160,000 riders have taken over 940,000 rides in Kelowna. The fleet of e-bikes and scooters is around 1,000 strong.

The company said it hopes to continue to play a part in Kelowna’s transportation system, and is offering a 10-per cent discount to all students and faculty at University of British Columbia Okanagan.

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“Lime is proud and grateful to everyone in Kelowna who sent ridership soaring this year and we hope to continue building on that success in the years to come,” Sonia Kandola, Director of Government Relations, said.

These are the final few months of a pilot project that kicked off in the spring of 2021. The project ends in April 2024 and it’s unclear, if or how rental scooters and bikes will be made available after that.

“As three years approaches in April 2024, we hope to work with the city of Kelowna and our local partners to build on the success of the program and improve wherever we can,” Lime said in an email.

“As always we will be paying close attention to safe riding and proper parking, which are the foundation of this successful program. We see this as an opportunity to deepen our commitment to and partnership with the city, producing wins for riders and all road users who work, live, and play in Kelowna.”

As the world’s largest provider of shared electric vehicles, Lime partners with cities to deploy electric bikes and scooters to serve any trip under five miles.

It was named a Time Magazine 100 Most Influential Company in 2021 and Fast Company Brand that Matters in 2022,