Different rules for different e-scooters
Posted Aug 27, 2019 7:45 am.
Last Updated Aug 27, 2019 1:43 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
CALGARY (660 NEWS) – If you’re riding an e-scooter you can’t be on roadways unless of course, you’re using a rental.
Companies like Bird or Lime, which have e-scooter rentals across Calgary, don’t follow those roadway rules, because governments can regulate the rentals easier.
“Because it’s a pilot, then we can make those recommendations and changes and work with the province to regulate both the shared e-scooters and the personal e-scooters,” said Manager for Calgary’s Shared Mobility Program Nathan Carswell.
Carswell said there are several other reasons why the rules are different, including speed.
“A personal e-scooter can go up to 50 kilometres per hour. At this point in time, it’s not safe to operate in an environment like that until we’ve figured out what makes the most sense for electric scooters.”
In contrast, the top speed for Lime and Bird e-scooters is under 30 km/h.
Both companies were given an exemption for the rules until the pilot project for e-scooters is finished in Oct. 2020
If people do want to ride their e-scooters there are over 900 kilometres of local and regional pathways in the city as of 2018.
