Kamloops council opts to allow electric kick scooter rentals on city streets

Photo: Michael Potestio

City of Kamloops transportation engineer Nii Noi Akuetteh shows city council an electric kick scooter on Tuesday during their regular council meeting.

Electric kick scooters will soon be available to rent on Kamloops streets.

City council on Tuesday voted 8-1 to join a three-year pilot project and to establish a service agreement with a short-term scooter rental provider by May. Only Coun. Margot Middleton opposed.

City of Kamloops transportation engineer Nii Noi Akuetteh told council the opportunities to customize parameters for e-scooter rental businesses could be “endless” when they find a service provider to bring the vehicles to Kamloops.

“We'll be able to establish deployment zones ahead of time, we’ll be able to define parking areas, we’ll be able to use a lot of their technologies, such as geofencing, low speed zones, no ride zones and so forth — and there's also the potential for income for the city ... depending on what we put into the RFP [request for proposal],” Akuetteh said.

He said the city is looking at the “big players” in the industry, and estimated a company would have a fleet of about 200 e-scooters to roll out locally.

Akuetteh said council's decision to join the pilot program will need to be communicated to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. He also noted that electric kick scooters are only permitted for use on roads in participating pilot communities in B.C.

Electric kick scooters are battery powered, two or four-wheeled devices with a platform and handlebars that weigh a maximum 45 kilograms, and have a top speed of no more than 25 km/hr.

Scooter litter a concern

Middleton said she felt the pilot should be shorter, and she expressed concern the rental scooters could be left littered around sidewalks.

“I can't quite sort of wrap my head around how that type of a program would be a benefit to our city,” Middleton said.

Akuetteh said the city is considering having designated parking spots in densified areas for e-scooter rentals to avoid the vehicles blocking sidewalks for pedestrians. He said they can be equipped so that the ride does not end until the scooter is parked in a designated spot.

He also noted the contract with the provider could require staff to collect any errant scooters.

The technology can restrict or geofence specified areas of the city for slow speed, no parking and no riding, a city staff report stated. The staff report noted an e-scooter rental agency in Kelowna reported warnings and fines were issued to riders for improper riding and parking in less than three per cent of trips, including 107 account suspensions for non-compliance.

Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson said the amount of other cities in the pilot gives him confidence and said he feels the GPS on the scooters will help prevent theft of the rentals.

“It sounds very safe,” he said.

Rules for the road

Electric kick scooters are permitted under the Motor Vehicle Act on roads with posted speed limits of 50 km/hr or less, in designated cycling lanes if available and, if not, the rider must stay as far to the right of the road as possible. On roads with a speed limit of more than 50 km/hr, the scooters can only be used in designated bike lanes.

The scooters cannot be ridden on sidewalks or in crosswalks, except if a sign or traffic control device allows. Riders must also be 16 or older, helmets are mandatory to ride electric kick scooters and riders must not carry passengers or tow people or devices.

With council’s approval to join the pilot project, privately owned and shared-service electric kick scooters will be permitted in Kamloops until April 5, 2028.

The provincial government encourages communities to join the pilot project to assess the benefits and effects of people using electric kick scooters in detail and evaluate how this popular mode of personal transportation can be safely integrated into local transportation networks.

There are 23 other cities in the pilot including Oliver, Osoyoos, Penticton, Kelowna, Chilliwack, Langley, Saanich, Vernon and Vancouver.