People are confused about Vancouver’s new e-scooter rules

With each passing year, there are new modes of transportation available to those living in urban centres and as technology develops the power afforded to two-wheelers is positively electric.

Following the success of e-bikes, scooters have just received provincial approval for three years as part of a pilot program in which six municipalities, including Vancouver, will allow them on local streets and in protected cycle lanes.

“We know people are changing the way they travel, and it’s important that our regulations address e-mobility as an emerging mode of personal transportation,” says Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure in a recent press release. “We will be working closely with these communities to test and research how the electric kick scooter can get us where we need to go, safely for everyone.”

It's a move that is causing a fair amount of confusion among locals who have seen e-scooters on sidewalks, major streets, and in use by delivery drivers for a while now.

The popularity of e-scooters has been on the rise since 2020 and many major cities have share programs so the government's tentative seal of approval feels a step behind the times to certain members of the public.

The City had plans to hire a company to launch a public electric scooter-sharing service but the project stalled and has been delayed until spring 2024. City councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung put forward the motion in June 2022.

Richmond launched an e-scooter share program through Lime last year.

What are the rules surrounding e-scooters in Vancouver?

For now, electric scooters may not be ridden on sidewalks, major streets, or the Seawall. Technically e-bikes are also banned from the seawall though locals claim that the bylaw is rarely enforced.

E-scooters are required to have a braking system and can't travel faster than 24 km/hr or exceed 500W motor output. Lights are required between sunset and sunrise and users must be over 16 and wearing a helmet.

According to the City of Vancouver's website, the e-scooter bylaws are enforced by the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) but Vancouver residents can provide feedback on the trial by contacting the city or emailing [email protected].

Where can you ride e-scooters in Vancouver?

Protected bike lanes - excluding the Seawall - are the more obvious approved locations, but things start to get confusing around the definition of "local roads."

Critics of the new bylaw have complained that Vancouver's major thoroughfares contain shops and businesses that people on e-scooters would want to visit so banning them seems rather short-sighted. 

E-scooters are required to stick to minor streets which are defined as roadways that do not have lane lines or directional dividing lines. They are also banned from sidewalks and "boulevard portions."

Assuming you fit all of the above criteria there is still one massive caveat to the new bylaws: "No person shall ride an electric kick scooter on a minor street or protected bicycle lane if the electric kick scooter is rented or leased."

Meaning, if you don't own your device, you're out of luck.

With files from Mike Howell