‘Scoot safe:’ City council OK’s use of private e-scooters in Regina

Another mode of transportation has been given the green light in Regina.

On Wednesday, city council approved amendments to the Traffic Bylaw and the Parks and Open Space Bylaw that will allow people to ride their private e-scooters in the city, effective immediately.

Deputy Mayor Jason Mancinelli is hopeful this will get more people outside exploring what Regina has to offer.

“We’re looking at a new society these days. Alternate modes of transportation are becoming something sought after not just because the price of fuel, but it’s a fun way to move around,” he said.

“I had the opportunity to ride some of these scooters in Calgary as a rental and I noticed the downtown life with the scooters was very active. It looked like a positive move for the city.”

E-scooters will be permitted in bike lanes, and on park pathways, multi-use pathways and roads that have a speed limit of 50 kilometres per hour or less. The scooters can’t exceed 24 km/h on roadways of 15 km/h on other pathways.

E-scooters won’t be allowed on high-speed roads or sidewalks and will have to use designated bike lanes where available.

Riders must be at least 16 years old and must wear a helmet.

“E-scooters are a fun, sustainable activity to get around our city and provide an alternate mode of transportation,” the city said in a release. “The City of Regina has a goal to become a renewable, net zero city by 2050 and adding e-scooters as a transportation option is one way to help to achieve this.”

The city is launching a shared e-scooter program in July, making 500 e-scooters available for short-term use in the city. The city said more information on rental locations, cost and areas permitted to ride will be available after the program launches.

Mancinelli is eager to see the rental program up and running.

“Right now if you go downtown, everyone wants a parking spot right where they want to go to. But imagine in the summertime (if) you have the opportunity to rent one of these scooters and go from one side of the downtown to the other. This is a perfect outlet for that,” he said.

He also thinks they’ll be convenient for people trying to get to a destinations faster.

“If you have multiple appointments, you have the ability to move around downtown in an easier manner,” Mancinelli said. “(It could help) even a student base going out to the university and moving around the campus. I know if I was in that situation myself, it would be a very popular choice for me.”

The e-scooters will be spread out throughout popular areas of the city.

Mancinelli said he was so sold on the idea of the e-scooter that he bought one himself to use this summer.

More information on e-scooters is available here.

“The city reminds everyone to share roads and pathways, be aware of your surroundings, and scoot safe!” the release concluded.

World junior bid

City council also voted unanimously to put up $400,000 to join Saskatoon in a joint bid to play host to the 2025 world junior hockey championship.

The cities submitted a bid to stage the 2023 tournament, but hosting rights for that event went to Halifax and Moncton. According to SaskTel Centre CEO John Howden, Hockey Canada asked the Saskatchewan cities to bid again.

“We believe we are a serious contender, and our work on the 2023 bid showed that,” Howden said earlier this month. “Hockey Canada, I think, looked at our bid and felt we should be in the running for this one as well.”

Saskatchewan has played host to the tournament twice before, in 1991 and 2010.

— With files from 980 CJME’s Shane Clausing