How should Canada adopt e-scooters? These experts say enforcement and safety are key
Nashville, Tenn., voted to reduce number of motorized scooters after the death of a rider
A myriad of safety and regulation concerns have left Canadian cities divided over how to embrace the growing popularity of electric scooters.
The speedy, two-wheeled vehicles, provided by service-sharing providers like Lime and Bird, have popped up in Calgary, Montreal and Waterloo, Ont.
But Canada has still largely been a spectator in the popularization of these motorized devices. Some cities like Vancouver have even clamped down on their private use.
Christopher Schafer, Canada's senior director of strategic development at Lime, says governments need to "rebuild their cities around people rather than the automobile" — and stocking e-scooters is one way they can do this.
Meanwhile, cities like Nashville, Tenn., are struggling to adapt to their rapid proliferation.
Their city council voted earlier this week to revamp e-scooter regulations following the death of a rider. The number of e-scooters will be cut in half from 4,000 and the number of companies that operate them will be capped at three.
Coun. Jeremy Elrod says city call centres have been fielding a steady stream of public complaints about parked scooters crowding walkways and riders weaving dangerously on roads and sidewalks.
"The biggest issue, I think, that we have is their place in our city on the sidewalks," he told The Current's guest host David Common.
"By our regulations and laws they're supposed to be ridden on streets, but people feel more comfortable sometimes riding them on sidewalks, or they park them on sidewalks."
For those with mobility issues, Elrod points out, this is a huge roadblock.
According to urban planner Maddie Harreman-Fernandes, e-scooters should serve as a complement to automobile alternatives, like public transit.
"They provide a solution to what's called the last mile problem. So that's the mile between your trip on public transit, and either to or from your destination," she said.
Produced by Rachel Levy-McLaughlin and Adam Killick.