Dockless electric rental scooters are coming to Ontario

An Ontario city will be the first in Canada to pilot electric scooter rentals.

Lime, an electric scooter company based in San Fransisco, has announced that Waterloo will be the first Canadian city to try the scooter share pilot program.

According to the City of Waterloo, the first Lime-S e-scooters hit their roads on Tuesday, in a program as part of a collaboration with the University of Waterloo.

They say they identified a 6.5-kilometre route that connects Waterloo Park with the University’s main campus and continues into the David Johnston Research + Technology Park. The city said that the route connects major research, employment and recreation centers where riders can travel via Lime-S e-scooter.

“We are committed to meeting the unique needs of cities across Canada and are excited to continue expanding our global footprint,” said Andrew Savage, Vice President, Strategic Development for Lime.

Waterloo, it’s official! 🇨🇦 🙌🏾
You can now add Canada to the list of amazing places you can ride Lime-S around the world! #CitrusGotReal pic.twitter.com/24LVutN5uE

— Lime (@limebike) October 2, 2018

Waterloo’s Mayor Dave Jaworsky said that they are encouraging alternate forms of transportation that would appeal to a wide spectrum of their residents.

“E-scooters have become a popular option in many other communities and I’m pleased that we are the first Canadian city to pilot a broad use of this mode of transportation,” said Jaworsky.

Lime has a multimodal fleet, which includes Lime-Classic (1, 3 and 8 speed), Lime-E (electric-assist bike), and Lime-S (electric scooters). The company is currently working with provincial leaders “to ensure the safe introduction of Lime-S e-scooters into other markets across the country.”

But for those of us in Toronto, this may be a while.

“Under the Province of Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act, vehicles like e-scooters are considered not legal for use on city/public roads, including within bike lanes,” said the City of Toronto’s Transport department in a statement. “We look forward to learning the results of Waterloo’s pilot program on select private roads and paths, and any potential outcomes that may impact the Province’s Highway Traffic Act.”

The Lime scooters will not be docked, and its app will allow customers to find any available e-scooters on its live GPS map.

Since its first launch in June 2017, Lime says it has served more than 100 markets across the United States and Europe. And by the end of 2018, it plans to launch in 50 new cities internationally.

See also