Mississauga’s e-scooters set to be removed — temporarily

Mississauga’s system of e-scooters is set to disappear soon, albeit temporarily.

The system launched for the first time in June, with hundreds of e-bikes and e-scooters for rent in various parts of Mississauga as the City embarked on a plan to have people use other viable and widespread modes of transportation.

Bird Canada and Lime Technology, Inc. are the two companies taking part in the shared micro-mobility program.

The City of Mississauga previously told INsauga.com that usage overall has been “positive,” though there have been some issues raised.

The number of parking restrictions in the city was one problem noted for e-scooter riders, causing frustration for some users.

In contrast, there have also been complaints over where and how the scooters are parked.

Ward 1 Coun. Stephen Dasko told city council in September that he “lost count of how many complaints” he received regarding the program, with the scooters posing the largest problem.

“It’s been an ongoing battle,” he said.

“Right now, the Ward 1 staff and myself are overrun dealing with these complaints.”

Officials with the City and the two companies operating the system have said that lessons learned since the rollout have resulted in some changes and more adjustments will be made as needed.

E-scooters set to be removed during winter months

In the coming months, however, the system of e-scooters will likely be temporarily removed from the city.

A spokesperson for the City of Mississauga told INsauga.com that staff are working with both Bird and Lime to finalize a “winter operations plan.”

“The plan will detail how service providers will adjust their fleet, service area, and operations, as well as communicate with users based on changing weather conditions including freezing temperatures, snow, and ice,” the spokesperson said in an email.

Both Bird and Lime have said that they’d like to operate as long as the weather allows.

Lime had previously said that typically they are able to have their bikes out for longer compared to their scooters.

But the City said that they aren’t planning to remove the e-bikes at all — officials are looking to keep them out all year.

Plans for the e-scooters, however, include removing them once winter weather conditions begin.

Representatives for Bird and Lime said it’s still not yet known when the devices will be removed.

Bird said they’ve sent some ideas to the City, but “it’s ultimately going to be up to them what happens this winter.”

“In 2025, the winter operations plan will remain in place until persistent winter weather conditions end, at which point the service providers will begin readjusting their fleet and the service area to resume regular operations,” the City spokesperson said.

So if you regularly use the e-scooters, or just want to take one out for a ride, you should do so before winter weather arrives.

Lime and Bird have a three-year agreement to operate in Mississauga, which can be extended for an additional two years.

— With files from Declan Finucane