Move over, BIXI: a new fleet of bikes has arrived in Montreal just in time for the warm weather.
Uber-owned JUMP, which is the first service of shared electric bicycles and scooters to enter the city’s market, officially hit the streets Wednesday.
“Montreal is the first Canadian city to receive the first JUMP e-bike,” said Uber spokesperson Jean-Christopher de le Rue. “There are hundreds that have already started to be deployed.”
READ MORE: Uber-owned JUMP bike and scooter-sharing service coming to Montreal this summer
The electric bicycles can reach speeds up to 32 kilometres per hour. They are self-service and not docked at designated stations, but cyclists will have to leave them locked to a city-installed bike stand. Fines up to $25 will be issued against those who fail to do so.
JUMP bikes can be reserved and rented through the Uber application for up to 30 cents per minute.
The new service is expected to help ease traffic across the city and allow cyclists to conquer steep slopes, according to de le Rue.
“We all know that Montreal has a really big congestion issue and we really believe that by adding more models to the option we will help the city be better for Montrealers,” he said.
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The bicycles are available in nine boroughs, including Ville-Marie, the Sud-Ouest and Rosemont-La-Petite. Uber has not ruled out expanding it service to other areas of Montreal.
As part of the launch, Uber is offering a $5 credit for the first ride. The company is also providing hundreds of free helmets at different spots across the city.
JUMP operates in a number of cities in Europe and North America, including New York City, San Francisco and Berlin. Montreal is the first city in Canada to have the service.
READ MORE: BIXI launching new season in Montreal with free rides on Sunday
— With files from Global News’ Dan Spector