The popular Lime electric scooters are going to be hitting the streets of Montreal this week.
The first scooters are set to be available to the public as of Tuesday, according to the city.
“It’s a new form of mobility. It can be part of the cocktail of sustainable mobility and we have to test it but we have to monitor the situation,” said Éric Alan Caldwell, the head of urban planning and mobility.
The dock-less scooters will be accessible through the Lime phone application. Users will be able to scan the scooter and find additional information on where to locate them around the city, how to ride them safely and how to park them properly.
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There will be designated parking spots for the two-wheelers and the scooters will have to be parked perpendicular to the sidewalk. A maximum of four Lime scooters will be allowed per spot.
Users will have to wear a helmet and be 18 or older to ride the scooters.
The speed will also be capped to 20 km/h under the province’s Highway Safety Code. The city says Montreal police will be enforcing the speed limit.
“The circulation of those scooters will be monitored by the SPVM,” said Caldwell.
WATCH: As the City of Montreal gets ready to roll out the red carpet for a new float of electric scooters, officials want to remind users that there are strict rules to be followed. Global’s Brittany Henriques explains.
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Lime warns users that they could be fined if their scooters are inadequately parked.
Caldwell says 65 vehicle parking spaces will be removed in the Ville-Marie borough to give space to scooter parking.
“Our new bylaw in Montreal is aimed to assure good fluidity and order in the city,” said Caldwell.
Montrealer Nefeli Alexandris is excited to try the new scooters out.
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“Well, I have used the Bixis so maybe it could be like a similar kind of service,” said Alexandris.
A tourist from Kansas City says the Lime scooters have been great for her city, but warns the service isn’t perfect.
“We’re trying to be more green in our transit and not cause such a big carbon footprint,” said Laura Ziegler. “Some people have some issues with it because it gets in the way of traffic sometimes and people have had some accidents.
“But for the most part people are really happy with it.”
Caldwell says 230 scooters will be distributed across Montreal.
The city says three boroughs have agreed to the new project — but would not say which ones.
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