'Start of something special': Riders use garbage bag day to reflect on 2024
Nov 11, 2024
The locker room was full of optimism for the future of the organization on Sunday.
New regulations in Saskatchewan are giving municipalities the power to decide if e-scooters will be allowed on their roads.
The Limited Speed Motor Vehicle Regulations will govern the use of motorized vehicles with a maximum speed of 32 kilometres per hour.
Last fall, SGI consulted with municipalities, law enforcement, safety organizations and stakeholders about the use of e-scooters. According to SGI, most respondents “were in favour of allowing their use on public roads, with many supporters viewing e-scooters as an eco-friendly mode of transportation.”
“These regulations give significant consideration to safety, to help ensure people can ride e-scooters while minimizing risk,” Don Morgan, the minister responsible for SGI, said in a release. “While municipalities have always had the option to allow e-scooters on sidewalks and walking paths, these new regulations serve public demand while providing municipal authority for additional bylaws.”
It’ll be up to municipalities to pass bylaws allowing the use of e-scooters and regulating where and when they can and can’t be used. If a municipality doesn’t allow their use, the scooters won’t be allowed on public roads in that community.
The regulations say e-scooters can only be permitted on roads with a speed of 50 km/h or less, the scooters can’t go faster than 24 km/h, riders must be at least 16 years old, and the riders must wear helmets.
If the e-scooters are allowed, riders on public roads will have to follow all traffic laws.
“Since e-scooters are not regulated at the federal level, the regulations provide broad authority for Saskatchewan to pilot, test, and regulate them,” the SGI release said.
“E-scooters don’t have to be registered and don’t require a driver’s licence to operate but they must comply with municipal bylaws and meet the provincial e-scooter regulations. Any fines or penalties for operating an e-scooter in a restricted area in your community, town or city are up to the municipality.”