Scooter-sharing service Lime announced its latest initiative ‘Lime Patrol’ today in an effort to reduce problems caused by electronic scooters in the city.
Starting today, Lime Patrol will be roaming the streets to promote safe and proper scooter riding and parking. They are also working with the City of Calgary to encourage riders to utilize the Share and Go parking zones, with 20 of them across.
“We appreciate how welcoming Calgary and its residents have been to Lime and we want to do our part to ensure streets are safe and clear from mis-parked e-scooters,” said Michael Markevich, Canada General Manager for Lime.
Lime Patrol will also be available to answer related questions.
The City of Calgary said in an email response that they have received approximately 150 complaints since the pilot started in May. Last year, around the same time frame, they received 275.
“Education around riding safely and parking respectfully remains a high priority for both the City and e-scooter companies,” the city’s email read.
The Lime Patrol team will closely monitor areas of dense usage at peak hours. This includes downtown, business districts and river pathway areas such as Eau Claire.
It’s also going to keep sidewalks clear in areas that require strong pedestrian traffic to survive.
“In these times, anything that helps generate traffic for businesses is critical,” said David Low, Executive Director of the Victoria Park BIA (Business Improvement Area).
“Lime scooters have been a boost to the area for sure. We are glad Lime is engaging with BIAs and innovating to promote local businesses while keeping sidewalks clear.”
Other cities such as Paris, Los Angeles and Spokane have had the patrol system put in place.
