PEI

No 'donuts': ATV riders will have to follow rules on rural roads

A pilot project that would allow ATV access on certain low-use dirt roads will be closely monitored, says P.E.I. Transportation Minister Steven Myers.

'If it doesn't work then it will end'

A person wearing a blue T-shirt drives a yellow ATV down a gravel roadway surrounded by long grass.
ATV riders want some rural roads opened up so they can create trails that go across the province. (Gorloff-KV/Shutterstock)

A pilot project that would allow ATV access on certain low-use dirt roads will be closely monitored, says P.E.I. Transportation Minister Steven Myers.

During Tuesday's question period, the Green Party asked government about potential environmental damage and the impact of increased ATV access on road safety.

Myers said ATV users will need to follow certain regulations for the pilot to be a success. Riders will have to register their vehicles and be licensed.

"It's something we're going to monitor closely on the other end, so if we have a road where an ATV is doing a bunch of donuts on it then it's over," said Myers.

PEI Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Steven Myers in a screen grab from the legislature
Myers emphasized this is a pilot project. (Legislative Assembly of P.E.I.)

"This is a pilot. If it works we'll continue moving forward, if it doesn't work then it will end."

Residents of Southwest Lot 16 presented a petition Tuesday against plans to use rural roads in their area, noting that the roads have both seasonal and year-round residents.

Myers said the department did not want trails running through residential areas, and that ATV trails should be kept a certain distance from homes.

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With files from Nicole Williams