MONTREAL -- Lime, the e-scooter company recently barred from operating in Montreal, is encouraging its users to send a note to city officials asking that the service be reinstated.
"I really enjoyed my time with them as it was a new, interesting way for me to get home from work," said Joseph Moniz, a Côte Saint-Luc who says he rode the scooters a few times last summer. "I was disappointed to hear that the city wants to remove the scooters, since it's so contradictory to what Montreal is trying to do for the environment."
Moniz adds rather than removing the service, he wishes the city would have considered doing a better job at assigning designated parking spots for the scooters – perhaps near the Bixi bike stations.
"I appreciate all the work the city is doing to make transportation better and more green, but when my choices are between a crowded rush-hour metro or a nice ride down the bike lands of Montreal on an e-scooter, I'd rather take the scooter," he told CTV News, noting he did write a letter to the city.
According to Lime's North America East communications manager, Russell Murphy, at least 700 e-mails have already been sent to the City of Montreal.
He notes the main complaints have been about the "desire to bring scooters back, as well as expressing displeasure about how the parking corrals were set up."
City officials confirmed to CTV News that they are receiving e-mails "from an automated e-mail chain." Nevertheless, they note it's hard to know if the messages are coming from real Montrealers as "very few provide their civic addresses."
"The decision for this year to suspend the pilot project surrounding the scooters is final and will not be questioned," said Laurence Houde-Roy, press attaché for Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante and the city's executive committee. "This decision was motivated by the high rate of user delinquency observed last summer and the fact that the operator was not able to hold users accountable for properly parking the scooters."
Pedro Castro, who lives and works in downtown Montreal, argues the city's decision to cancel the pilot project goes against its vision as being an innovative epicentre for artificial intelligence (AI).
"I find it ridiculous and hypocritical," he stated, adding that he was one of the people who wrote a letter to the city. "It is a great way to get around the city, from point A to point B, in locations where the metro is not convenient and where a walk would take 20 minutes."
NO MORE E-SCOOTERS
Last February, the city announced the pilot project would be suspended because it found 80 per cent of scooters were illegally parked, leading to 110 tickets being issued.
However, Lime insists there was such a high number of illegal parking because there wasn't a sufficient amount of spots provided by the city. It notes the spaces were inconveniently placed and did not include proper signage.
The city has also argued there was often conflict between riders and pedestrians in high-density areas of the city.
Eric Alan Caldwell, Montreal executive committee member responsible for transportation, even blamed the scooter operator for not living up to its responsibility in making sure the rules were being followed.
Lime says it is currently in talks with the City of Montreal to find possible solutions.
