E-scooters given the green light in Guelph

A stock photo of the new e-scooters now available to rent within Waterloo region as of April. 15 (submitted: Neuron Mobility)

Guelph city council has given the green light for those looking to ride an e-scooter in the Royal City, however, there are a few stipulations.

The move to allow e-scooters on city streets comes well over halfway through a five-year provincial pilot project launched on Jan. 1, 2020 aimed at determining if e-scooters should become a permanent fixture on Ontario roads.

“You can ride an e-scooter now in Guelph. I can ride one now, and I’m going to – I can’t wait,” said Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie in a post to Twitter following the meeting.

Municipalities that want to allow e-scooters to operate on their roads are required to pass bylaws to permit their use and set out specific requirements based on what is best for their communities.

The bylaws passing in Guelph comes nearly two months after council passed a motion to direct staff to bring forward a report and draft bylaw to permit the operation of personal use e-scooters, meeting all provincially required conditions and regulations.

While e-scooters are permitted to be operated on city streets under certain conditions, e-scooters are prohibited from being operated in all other areas including city parks, trails, and private property, including on University of Guelph property, the bylaw reads.

According to the bylaw, the use of e-scooters off-road will be prohibited during the provincial pilot period.

The Guelph Police Service (GPS) has requested city bylaw staff to take the lead on enforcement as they have indicated limited police resources available.

According to the bylaw, the GPS public information office will manage the educational campaign and will coordinate with the city to ensure consistent messaging.