A new shared e-scooter system has officially hit the streets of Vancouver.
Lime scooters are now available for rent in parts of East Vancouver, including the Hastings-Sunrise and Grandview Woodlands areas.
Crews install a Lime scooter parking lot at Victoria Park near Commercial Drive in Vancouver.
Simon Little / Global News
The company has rolled out 100 electric scooters and 27 parking stations. Vancouver is the first North American city to test the parking stations.
The stations are intended to establish clear final destinations for the scooters and to alleviate concerns about the devices being left on the streets and sidewalks.
The scooters have become popular in some major cities and have raised concerns about road safety. However, the city says it has confidence in the program.
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“You actually have more control with a shared system than with private scooters,” said Vancouver Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung said Thursday.
“The speed on the Lime scooters is limited to 25 kilometers per hour; That is not possible with a private scooter.”
Lawrence Frank, a professor at UBC’s School of Population and Public Health, said riders should still exercise caution.
“Just because it can go a certain speed doesn’t mean people should, and there’s some judgment in having that responsibility on the part of users not to go too fast where there are pedestrian crossings and other modes intermingle a lot,” he said.
“So that becomes the most important thing: there is a learning curve when you introduce a new form of transportation.”
Scooter riders are required to wear a helmet and are not allowed to ride on sidewalks.
The scooters can be used on roads with a speed limit of 50 kilometers per hour or less, greenways and bike paths and Vancouver’s seawall. Riders must be at least 18 years old.
The program will be rolled out to other Vancouver neighborhoods in the coming year.
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