E-scooters are on their way to Ontario as the provincial government announced yesterday that it will be launching a pilot project starting on January 1, 2020.
Announced by Vijay Thanigasalam, the parliamentary assistant to the Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney, the pilot project will last five years and will allow each municipality to make their own decisions on allowing e-scooters through their own by-laws, as well as some of the other operational details like where they will be permitted and where they can be parked.
“Ontario’s five-year e-scooter pilot will give people a new, clean and green way to get from point A to point B in their communities,” said Thanigasalam in a press release. “This pilot is another way that our government is giving consumers more choice and making Ontario open for business.”
According to an email from the Ministry of Transportation, the pilot was launched after consultations regarding operating requirements and frameworks with over 30 stakeholders including municipalities, enforcement, industry, retailers, and road safety associations.
The ministry also posted a regulatory posting for additional public and stakeholder feedback.
These consultations also brought forward a set of safety regulations including helmet requirements, a minimum riding age of 16, and a requirement that all scooters be equipped with a horn or bell as well as front and rear-facing lights.
Additionally, the government provided a guide of best practices for municipalities to consider as they move forward with this project.
This comes after Quebec and Alberta has already launched pilot projects of their own.