E-scooters now allowed on Waterloo Region roads
Electric scooters have been given the green light to cruise in Waterloo Region.
As of July 1, e-scooters are allowed on all regional and city roads with a posted speed of 50 km/h or less. The electric vehicles are also permitted in bike lanes regardless of speed limit, on multi-use paths and on select multi-use trails.
E-scooters are not allowed on the sidewalk or on high-speed roads.
“It makes it more convenient, more accessible, for all ages and abilities to leave the car behind,” said Kevan Marshall, the principal planner with the region’s transit services and integration group.
'IT SAVES A LOT OF TIME'
The move towards e-scooters is part of the region’s goal for a more sustainable future and it’s one of the reasons why Yagnik Joshi purchased one.
Yagnik Joshi stands with his e-scooter in Waterloo. (Carmen Wong/CTV Kitchener)
“It saves a lot of time, plus we don’t have to do much physical work with this scooter because when you think of a bicycle, you have to pedal it,” said Joshi, who makes food deliveries in Waterloo Region.
Joshi, a Conestoga College student, said he’s been riding his e-scooter everyday since Friday to make deliveries faster so he can make more money to pay for school.
RULES OF THE ROAD
Marshall said anyone interested in buying an e-scooter should research the rules first.
E-scooter riders must be 16 years of age or older. Also, while the province doesn’t require riders over the age of 18 to wear a helmet, the region has made it mandatory under bylaw.
The electric vehicles also need to have certain specifications, like having a maximum speed of 24 km/h.
Waterloo regional police will enforce these rules under the Highway Traffic Act, though Marshall said the focus is on education.
LEGAL CONCERNS
Nick de Koning, a personal injury lawyer at Deutschmann Law in Kitchener said he has concerns that e-scooters are exempt from insurance requirements and that could leave questions around liability in case of an accident.
“If such a person [on an e-scooter] is responsible for hitting another cyclist or pedestrian, then there’s difficulties on who you pursue,” said de Koning.
FUTURE REGIONAL PLANS
Marshall said this e-scooter initiative supports a future bike sharing system that will allow e-scooters to be part of that fleet. It could see 850 e-bikes and 425 e-scooters as early as spring of 2023.
People interested in purchasing their own e-scooter should review the MTO project page to ensure their vehicle meets the provincial vehicle requirements.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.