Agency: Bird releases its dockless electric scooters
This page is translated from the original post "Agen : Bird lâche ses trottinettes électriques en libre service" in French.
- 28/04/2022 15:38
First arrival in the city, the company Bird has recently deployed 150 shared electric scooters for rent in Agen.
Bird is one of the major companies offering self-service mobility rental services. But since summer 2020, its scooters are no longer allowed in Paris, having lost the tender award to Tier, Lime or Dott. However, Bird has bounced back in several other major cities, including Marseille, Lyon, and Bordeaux. And it has added other medium-sized cities, including Agen most recently.
Bird takes off in Agen
In the prefecture of Lot-et-Garonne, the American company has selected the most modest of its three models. The Bird One, with its black and white appearance, is designed for self-service and endurance with its IP67 certification (dust protection and 30-minute immersion).
But not necessarily the comfort at first glance. With its 9-inch wheels and simple suspension, the electric scooter compensates with its performance. Weighing 17.5 kg—a bit heavy—its 474 Wh battery should nevertheless reach around 50 km of autonomy.
Where to ride and at what speed?
150 of these vehicles have been deployed in Agen since early March. However, Bird limits themselves to the city center (see map), and the scooter cannot operate outside. As for parking, users cannot do anything just anywhere. Like other services like Pony in Bourges, the mobile app indicates the locations where the ride can be ended. According to Bird, 40 specific parking areas exist for finishing trips.
A specific feature of Agen is that the maximum speed is not the legal one. Unlike the 25 km/h limit granted to EPDM, Bird electric scooters cannot exceed 20 km/h. This is a “decision made in agreement with the city” accompanied by other dense zones where the vehicles will circulate at a maximum of 6 km/h.
What is the cost of renting a scooter in Angers?
As with all similar rental services, Bird scooters charge 1 euro to unlock. Then, the usual rate is 0.20 euro/minute. The operator also offers a discount for students and job seekers, at 0.15 €/min without unlock fees.
These Bird shared scooters join other mobility services in Agen. Besides buses and electric shuttles, the city’s “Tempo” network has developed bike-sharing options with or without a subscription. However, they only connect the train station and the campus. Lastly, electric bikes (VAE) are also available for short- and long-term rentals.
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