Rental Scooters Leave Mexico City Streets After 117,000 Trips

Rental electric scooters have left Mexico City’s streets again, after a pilot program recorded around 117,000 trips in 60 days.

The mobility authority, SEMOVI, confirmed that Lime, JET and Whoosh could no longer offer the service after the trial period ended. The companies had received temporary permits to operate up to 1,000 scooters each, allowing as many as 3,000 vehicles on the streets.

The trips were generally short. They lasted an average of 15 to 20 minutes and covered between 800 meters and 2.4 kilometers. The pilot therefore served mainly as a last-mile option, connecting Metro or Metrobús stations and other transport hubs with users’ final destinations, rather than replacing long car or public transport journeys.

Usage peaked between 8 and 9 a.m. and between 5 and 7 p.m., periods that coincide with some of the capital’s busiest traffic hours. SEMOVI extended the permits through August 31, 2026, but scooters could not continue operating under the pilot scheme from September 1.

The authority will now review the number of trips, peak hours, high-demand areas and operating conditions. No decision has confirmed a return. The evaluation will also take place as Mexico City moves toward new rules for personal electric motor vehicles, known as VEMEPE.