From city cores to suburban streets, e-scooters are rolling into the mainstream in Ontario. Barrie resident Katie Bradbury recently had her scooter serviced and says she is ready to use it as her primary mode of transportation. “I personally love e-scooters; it’s a great way for me to get around, and since I can’t drive, this is something that gets me from one end to town to the other without having to wait an hour on the bus,” said Bradbury to CTV News. While it sure is a convenient way to maneuver around the city, there is one issue. It’s illegal. “And the reason they are not legal in the City of Barrie is because there’s no bylaw within the city that regulates the use and restrictions of using an electronic scooter in the City of Barrie,” said Const. Ronald Hunt with the Barrie Police Service. “They are illegal in the City of Barrie on roadways, sidewalks, city, Barrie property, trails and parks.” Hunt argued that e-scooters pose serious safety risks for riders. “You need to be experienced to operate one of these machines, and young kids are using them to go to school, being in a park, being careless, and not paying attention to driving them on the roadways and sidewalks,” said Hunt. “And we’ve had a number of collisions involving e-scooters with children and adults.” Bradbury said there are many riders like herself who follow all the laws and wear safety gear. She added that she has added extra reflectors and lights on her e-scooter for visibility. “I get where they’re coming from, but at the same time, as long as you drive a certain way that is safe, and as long as you’re going to drive them on the sidewalk and you give the people that are walking and biking on the sidewalk the right of way, then I don’t see where they’re coming from with saying that it’s dangerous if you’re being careful,” said Bradbury. Police are sounding the alarm Barrie police and the Ontario Provincial Police want the public to know they are out in force across the region, enforcing the rules and promoting safety in local communities. “We will be out enforcing the rules regarding e-scooters,” said Hunt. “Education is our most important thing right now in the safety of the riders and motorists as well, so look out for these things because they are out there,” said Hunt. “The whole purpose is to educate the public that there are certain restrictions and laws.” Barrie is not the only area sending out this strict messaging. The Town of New Tecumseth is reiterating that e-scooters are not allowed on city roads. At a special council meeting on Sept. 14 in Alliston, the town asked Nottawasaga OPP to conduct a blitz targeting the unauthorized use of micro-mobility vehicles. “It’s two concerns, one the age—there are very young children driving these that don’t have the skill, they don’t know how to avoid an accident, and they’re not even quite sure they’ve ever seen one where they could be in danger,” said New Tecumseth Mayor Richard Norcross. “The other thing too, it’s the speeds; they’re zipping in and out of traffic, they’re going on the sidewalk, they’re going on the road, they’re going through parking lots, and people can’t see them, and they’re not prepared for them.” The Town of Innisfil has a motion on Wednesday’s council agenda seeking direction to develop a bylaw and regulatory framework for e-scooters during the next council term. In the meantime, staff would work on public awareness and marketing campaigns to inform residents that e-scooters are not currently regulated and are not permitted on town-owned property. E-scooter popularity surges Despite what police and town officials say, e-scooters continue to be a popular choice at local shops. Super E-Bikes in Barrie has multiple scooters in for service and ready to be picked up. Gray Handy, the sales manager, said the demand continues to increase. “We’ve seen exponential increase year after year, and the amount of people not only buying them but also the people that are aware of them,” said Handy. “It started off as something that was very niche, and now everyone and their grandma knows what these guys (scooters) are and what they’re about.” While e-scooters offer many benefits, including being eco-friendly and rechargeable, public discourse often focuses on the wrong group of people who use them, he said. “It depends on who’s riding them and what their capabilities are, so there’s a lot that goes into it, but I think that we see a small minority that’s a lot louder, because you’re not going to see the people that are riding the smaller scooters that are respecting the road,” said Handy. “I think what’s going to be more in your face are the ones that are passing you on the road or the ones that are cutting in between traffic, so I think those are the ones that we pay more attention to, and I think that’s what’s drawing more attention.” He added that a large part of talking to families about e-scooters is education. “We always, always, always say that you need to be wearing a helmet, 100 per cent,” said Handy. “Additionally, these scooters—if you’re riding them anywhere where people are walking or there are potentially cars—should not be surpassing 32 kilometres an hour, the motor should also not exceed 500W, so if they exceed that, they’re supposed to be strictly, strictly recreational.” “A lot of these scooters, if they’re not coming from a retail Canadian store like this, they may be foregoing certain safety features or regulations that they have to comply to,” said Handy. “That’s where we may see more dangerous scooters that people are riding.”
