After a meeting with municipalities, law enforcement, safety organizations, and stakeholders last fall, Saskatchewan municipalities can now choose to allow e-scooters on public roads.
E-scooters don’t have to be registered and don’t require a driver’s license to operate but they must comply with municipal bylaws and meet the provincial e-scooter regulations.
The City of Moose Jaw may pass bylaws to allow e-scooters and authorize where and when they can be used. If the city does not pass a bylaw permitting their use, e-scooters will continue to be prohibited on public roads.
The provincial regulations are safety focused, and stipulate:
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E-scooters can only be permitted on roads with a speed of 50 kilometers per hour or less
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E-scooters cannot be operated at a speed greater than 24 km/hr
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A minimum operator age of 16 years or older
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An outline of the required standards and safety equipment – Riders are required to wear helmets
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Municipalities and provincial and national parks have the authority to create bylaws around the use of e-scooters
Any fines or penalties for operating an e-scooter in a restricted area of the community are also up to the municipality.
“These regulations give significant consideration to safety, to help ensure people can ride e-scooters while minimizing risk,” says Don Morgan, the Minister responsible for SGI. “While municipalities have always had the option to allow e-scooters on sidewalks and walking paths, these new regulations serve public demand while providing municipal authority for additional bylaws.”
Most respondents were in favour of allowing e-scooters to be used on public roads, with many supporters viewing e-scooters as an eco-friendly mode of transportation.
While other vehicles aren’t included at this time, the regulations position the province to react to other micro-mobility devices in the future.