The city of Montreal wants JUMP e-bike sharing users to better respect parking regulations.
JUMP, the Uber-owned electric bicycle and scooter sharing service, has been operating in the city for just over a week, and Montreal’s transportation committee said there have already been many infractions.
Montrealers are failing to dock the e-bikes to the proper racks or labelled posts as required, said the city’s executive committee member in charge of transit and urban planning, Éric Alan Caldwell.
“Our bylaw is not respected at the level we expect,” Caldwell said at a press conference Friday.
He said there are too many bikes left misplaced around the city.
The city is appealing to the company to better alert its users on the parking regulations, said Caldwell.
JUMP responded on Friday, confirming that they have observed users not abiding by the parking guidelines.
READ MORE: Uber-owned fleet of electric bikes arrives in Montreal
“We would like to remind all users that it is extremely important to lock bikes to a suitable public rack without impeding the passage,” said a JUMP spokesperson.
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The spokesperson added that users who do not follow the parking rules will receive a first warning, and if other offences happen, they will face a fee of $25. They could even see their account suspended.
The Uber-owned company also said Montrealers have already completed over 10,000 trips on the e-bikes, averaging 3.4 kilometres per trip, enough mileage to circle the Earth. The company added that so far, only 15 per cent of the city’s users are tourists, noting that the service is doing well among Montreal residents.
The electric bicycles are available in nine boroughs, including Ville-Marie, the Sud-Ouest and Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie. Uber has not ruled out expanding the service to other areas of Montreal.
JUMP is the first shared electric bicycle and scooter service to enter Montreal’s market, and the city is the first in Canada to get it. The bikes can be reserved and rented through the Uber application for up to 30 cents per minute.
READ MORE: Uber-owned JUMP bike and scooter-sharing service coming to Montreal this summer
The new service is expected to help ease traffic across the city and allow cyclists to conquer steep slopes, according to Uber spokesperson Jean-Christopher de le Rue. The bikes can reach speeds up to 32 kilometres per hour.
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, as it is mandatory to wear one as per the city’s regulations.
JUMP operates in a number of cities in Europe and North America, including New York City, San Francisco and Berlin.
— With files from Global News’ Kalina Laframboise and Dan Spector
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