300 E-Scooters Being Rolled Out For Public Transportation In Indio

INDIO, CA — Indio will become the second city in the Coachella Valley to offer Bird's electric scooter service on Wednesday amid historically high gas prices.

A fleet of 300 Bird e-scooters will be rolled out to the public after a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3:30 p.m. at downtown Indio's Colossal Cacti art sculpture, 82-921 Indio Blvd.

The deployment of the scooters will come a little over a week before the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival starts on April 15.

Bird's scooter-sharing system is offered in more than 400 cities globally, including in neighboring Coachella, which deployed 100 scooters in May 2021.

E-scooter riders in Indio will be able to determine where the devices are available in real time by using a free Bird app. The app allows users to activate scooters by inputting their debit or credit card information. The cost in Indio will be $1 to start, followed by a 39 cents per-minute fee.

"We are excited to welcome Bird to the city of Indio," Mayor Waymond Fermon said in a news release. "Whether going to the Farmers Market downtown, seeing some of the city's new sculptures, commuting to work or school, residents and visitors now have another fun, eco-friendly way to get around."

The Indio City Council approved a one-year pilot program with Bird in March that will allow the e-scooters to be ridden on streets, bike lanes and paths and parked beside a bicycle rack or in another area specifically designated for bicycle parking.

The e-scooters will be deployed at no cost to the city.

Residents can report safety concerns, complaints, or ask questions 24 hours a day, seven days a week by contacting Bird customer support at hello@bird.co or via their support line at 866-205-2442.