Skip to main content

Montreal bans e-scooters following rider misuse

The Canadian city of Montreal has outlawed shared electric scooters from its streets after hundreds of riders disregarded rules on parking and helmet use. 
By Ben Spencer March 12, 2020 Read time: 2 mins
Not all scooter riders played nice in Montreal (© Vlad Ispas | Dreamstime.com)

The decision follows a project last summer in which Lime and Bird deployed 430 and 250 e-scooters, respectively, at various locations in the city. 

Many users reportedly left the vehicles on the pavement or street instead of returning them to their designated areas.  

Last September, the city imposed $50 tickets on riders caught parking illegally.

Police also issued more than 300 tickets to riders who ignored rules on wearing helmets while riding e-scooters. 

A Montreal Bike Coalition spokesman told Montreal Gazette that there was ‘great potential’ in the scheme.

“The average trip on the scooters was just 1.5km and, in 2019, 25% of the trips were linked to public transit. The problem, of course, is that the operators didn’t do what they had to do to make sure that people who were renting them were following the rules when it comes to parking.”

Lime general manager Michael Markevich, says: “With more than 200,000 trips and 50,000 riders in just three months, it’s clear there was a real demand for greener, more convenient transportation options. We remain open to solutions that address the city’s concerns and are eager to bring the program back as soon as possible.”

Those who own an e-scooter may still use them on some public roads.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Huawei’s clearer vision for safe traffic
    August 4, 2020
    Rates of compliance with traffic laws are often linked to the chances of detection. Andrew Watson explains how intelligent traffic management solutions can help change drivers’ behaviour
  • Bringing enforcement standards into line
    March 1, 2013
    Difficulties with the apparent accuracy of enforcement systems have been making the headlines in the United States over recent months. Jon Masters investigates the causes and possible cures. Online newspaper reports in the United States over recent months have painted a picture of the authorities struggling to keep on top of their speed and red light enforcement pro­grammes. Among a host of stories put out by the Washington Post and others on the subject of speed cameras during January, there were reports
  • New services and equipment helps cities tackle air quality issues
    September 19, 2017
    With poor urban air quality shortening lives and fines being imposed for breaching pollution limits, authorities are seeking ways to clean up their cities. Poor air quality is topping the agenda for city authorities across the globe. In the UK, for example, a report from the Royal Colleges of Physicians and of Paediatrics and Child Health, concluded that poor outdoor air quality shortens the lives of around 40,000 people a year – principally by undermining the health of people with heart and/or lung prob
  • Barcelona Innova Lab invites €200,000 sound judgments
    March 7, 2025
    24 March deadline for latest in Spanish city's mobility challenges