Lime riders’ refrain: Don’t geofence me in
Residents are spotting e-scooters scooting outside test area, sparking talk of danger
WATERLOO — Despite efforts to keep Lime electric scooters contained in a specified pilot project test area, the bright green mobility devices have routinely been spotted outside that zone.
Warren Karges said he’s seen at least half a dozen of the e-scooters near his home at the intersection of Princess and Regina streets — about half a kilometre outside the permitted area, a virtual perimeter known as a geofence.
“I’ve seen them all around uptown,” Karges said, adding the situation has improved in recent days.
“I’ve had to dodge a couple of scooters on the sidewalk, and I’ve seen a few parked near the street.”
Daisy Arsenault almost backed over a scooter with her vehicle after it was left in front of her home near Bridgeport Road and Peppler Street.
She said she has also seen them parked at MacGregor Senior Public School and the nearby Bridgeport Plaza.
“They’re everywhere,” she said.
This despite the fact Lime
scooters are not supposed to leave the pilot area confined to the Laurel Trail between Waterloo Park Promenade and the David Johnston Research and Technology Park.
The City of Waterloo launched the pilot project at the beginning of October and it runs until the end of November. It resumes once again from April 1 to Sept. 30, 2019.
In the wake of numerous injuries and a class-action lawsuit launched against Lime and other e-scooter companies in the United States, Waterloo has said the restricted riding area was one way of ensuring pedestrians and riders remain safe during the pilot.
Ryan Mounsey, senior economic development adviser with the city, confirmed some riders have left the 5.5-kilometre route.
But the bulk of the people are staying within that zone, Mounsey said.
To help curtail where scooters go, the city implemented a geofence along the route that reduc- es the scooter’s maximum speed from 24 km/h to “walking speed” if they leave, Mounsey said. The city has also established designated parking areas along the trail.
“The people you see outside the zone took a lot of effort to get there,” he said.
Mounsey and Shayne Turner, the city’s director of bylaw enforcement, both said they are unaware of any complaints to the city about the service.
But personal injury lawyer Rob Deutschmann said Waterloo needs to go further than just slowing the scooters down if they leave the test pilot area.
“They shouldn’t be able to operate outside that area at all,” he said.
The combination of inexperienced riders and pedestrians who might not be expecting to encounter them on trails or on local sidewalks is a dangerous mix and could present liability issues for the city.
“Why even have that (slowdown)? I think the city needs to tighten up the situation,” Deutschmann said.
Mounsey said the city would not reprogram the scooters to go into lockdown if they leave the geofenced area, saying “it’s technically not safe” to do so. Lime is responsible for insurance and indemnification throughout the pilot.
Waterloo does not fine operators for taking a scooter outside the riding area or for leaving it where they shouldn’t.
But staff might consider that option when the pilot resumes in the spring. The city is also adding more parking locations along Laurel Trail.
“This really is the tip of the iceberg for the e-scooter pilot ... but so far it’s been positive,” Mounsey added.
The scooters can only be used by people 18 or older, and between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. There is also a cap of 100 scooters available to rent via the Lime app.
The company is required to retrieve all scooters at the end of the day.
Arsenault and Karges both said they support the pilot project.
“I see a lot of excitement around them,” said Arsenault. “I think they’re a great idea.
“People are enjoying them and they seem like a lot of fun.”
Lime and other e-scooter companies have received plenty of criticism in recent weeks.
According to the Wall Street Journal, a class-action suit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court last month accuses the San Francisco-based company and other e-scooter firms of “gross negligence” and “aiding and abetting assault.”
Lime also recalled some of its scooters earlier this year after learning the batteries in older units could catch fire.
But Mounsey said that doesn’t impact the scooters provided to Waterloo, which are new.
Lime said the recall affected 0.01 per cent of its total fleet.