Photo: Rob Gibson - File Photo

It may be several weeks before we know which companies will be licensed to provide bikeshare services in Kelowna.

City council voted unanimously to approve a new permitting system earlier this month. It was given final reading Monday.

Since the program became official, active transportation co-ordinator Matt Worona says discussions with potential providers have ramped up, and one application has already been received.

"We're working through all the questions people have, and setting out some expectations," he said.

"Some people have different ways of doing things, and we're just trying to figure out how that might fit in our market. We're getting to those higher level conversations we couldn't really do before."

Worona wouldn't elaborate as to the identity of that company, however, he has indicated preliminary interest from both Uber and Lyft, which have branched out into the bikeshare market.

As many as half a dozen or more companies have expressed some interest in Kelowna.

Being a new process, Worona says it's hard to know exactly how long it will take to approve each application as it comes in, but doesn't expect it will take too long.

The city ran a successful bikeshare pilot project with DropBike last year.

However, Worona says the industry has changed to the extent that e-bikes and e-scooters will likely be the product of choice rather than pedal bikes.