Advocates call on Halifax to enact e-scooter rules that protect pedestrians

Advocates in Halifax are calling on the city to make sure any future e-scooter regulations will keep vulnerable pedestrians safe.

The Canadian National Institute for the Blind and other advocates spoke to the city's transportation standing committee on Thursday about the dangers posed by rental scooters in Halifax for seniors and people with vision or hearing loss.

Milena Khazanavicius, who is blind, said she's had many bad experiences because the scooters are so quiet there's rarely any warning they are approaching.

"An e-scooter user zipped right by me on the sidewalk. At that point, my guide dog then dropped to the ground because it's scary and terrifying," Khazanavicius told the committee.

Another time, she said she was walking with a sighted friend when two people on scooters blew by them. The friend was so startled she bumped into Khazanavicius, who "toppled over." When they managed to stop and talk to the scooter riders, Khazanavicius said the pair had no idea they weren't allowed to ride on the sidewalk.

Scooters are currently treated like bicycles under the Motor Vehicle Act and must travel in bike lanes or the roadway. Riders also must be over 14 and can't go faster than 32 kilometres per hour.

But in Halifax, advocates told the committee people are often seen illegally riding on sidewalks without helmets, or abandoning rental scooters outside of the proper parking zones. 

Khazanavicius pointed out some cities like Paris have banned rental scooters. Even after the French capital lowered the speed limit to 10 kilometres an hour, Khazanavicius said there were three deaths and more than 400 injuries related to scooters in one year.

"That's a lot. And I don't think our medical system can handle that right now," Khazanavicius said.

Lui Greco of CNIB Halifax said his group would love to see Halifax follow Paris's lead, but if not, city regulations should lower the speed limit, and require pavement markings around designated scooter parking areas to warn people with canes. He said any parking areas should still allow a minimum of 1.8 metres of clear sidewalk.

Greco said regulations should also require e-scooter providers to respond quickly when issues come up.

But as Paris shows, Greco said "even though guidelines were in place, bad things happened to innocent people."

Committee chair Coun. Waye Mason promised to talk with Halifax police about better enforcement of the current laws, and with city staff about removing abandoned scooters from city property.

"Because it's not fair that we're still having that discussion with you when it's already been determined they can't be on sidewalks," Mason said to Greco and Khazanavicius.

Report in the works

A staff report on how Halifax should regulate e-scooters is expected to come before the committee soon.

Coun. Patty Cuttell said there are many lessons the city can learn about how micro-mobility devices are addressed in other areas. She added it will be easier to hold scooter providers accountable once an official bylaw is in place because they'll "have something to lose."

"They'll have their licence to lose if this becomes an ongoing problem," Cuttell said.