Lime has launched the first e-scooter sharing pilot in Canada, giving residents in Waterloo, Ontario a chance to see what this two-wheeled transport option is all about. It’s not available across the entire city users will have to be content with putting around a 6.5km (4mi) route between Waterloo Park and the David Johnston Research + Technology Park, including around the University of Waterloo’s main campus.
The scooters still won’t be docked. Lime has the city’s approval for the program, though, and it’s promising to work with provinces on a “safe introduction” for e-scooter sharing elsewhere in Canada. It hasn’t provided a roadmap for that expansion, but it did expect launches in 50 international cities by the end of 2018.
Whether or not Lime can make inroads in Canada isn’t certain, and might depend on how well the Waterloo pilot fares. Calgary has already greenlit an e-scooter pilot that would start in early 2019, but Toronto officials have been wary of the idea after seeing the problems that have cropped up in the States.
