Zwings only began operating in the city in January after the previous provider pulled out, citing rising energy costs as a key factor.
Now, Zwings has said it will cut the available number of its electric scooters in Sunderland from Wednesday this week and end its trial in the city altogether on 5 May.
“This difficult decision has been made after a series of incidents of vandalism that have occurred in the past couple of months in Sunderland,” a spokesperson said.
“Unfortunately, vandalism has been higher than expected – resulting in significant financial losses for the operator – and has put the safety of its riders at risk.”
Zwings and its blue scooters took over from Neuron’s orange models in the city earlier this year, launching with 100 scooters.
The scheme was expected to double in size during 2023, with the trial due to last until May 2024.
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