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City of Kelowna responds to DropBike

DropBike released their statement May 1
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file photo Image: Alistair Waters/Capital News

The City of Kelowna has released its own statement regarding DropBike’s decision to not continue services in Kelowna.

On May 1 Dropbike bid a nice goodbye to Kelowna riders, and the Drop Mobility team blamed the City of Kelowna for its program’s termination.

According to a statement from Drop Mobility, who operated the DropBike program in Kelowna for six months, a misguided framework ultimately ended to the program not wishing to continue local operations.

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“We are leaving because the regulatory framework developed by the City of Kelowna stands in clear opposition to our values of building long-lasting, sustainable organization that can serve residents of the City for the long-term,” said the statement.

“At the time of publication, the regulations had not yet been approved by Council. Council approved the proposed open permit program for new operators during its regular meeting on Monday, May 6,” said a press release from the City of Kelowna.

“It is important to note the new permit program does not affect the current licensing agreement with Dropbike to offer pedal bikeshare and use their haven locations. The City entered the license agreement with Dropbike in February 2018 for the duration of 18 months. As per the agreement, no exclusivity was granted and both parties have a 30-day out from the agreement without cause.”

The permit was being drafted to allow more vehicle types such as electric bikes and scooters not only bicycles.

Riders took over 35,000 trips with DropBike, and the company thanked the support they received from the users in Kelowna.

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