“We need to enforce the law, absolutely,” Said Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow About Electric Scooters and Other Micromobility Vehicles

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update

United for a Barrier-Free Ontario for All People with Disabilities

Website: www.aodaalliance.org

Email: aodafeedback@gmail.com

Twitter: @aodaalliance

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aodaalliance

 

“We need to enforce the law, absolutely,” Said Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow About Electric Scooters and Other Micromobility Vehicles

November 16, 2024

 

SUMMARY

 

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said, “We need to enforce the law, absolutely,” about e-scooters and other micromobility vehicles. This is very important for vulnerable pedestrians with disabilities, seniors and others.

 

Right now, it is illegal to ride an e-scooter anywhere in public in Toronto. That includes public places like roads, bike paths, sidewalks and parks. Disability advocates including the AODA Alliance fought long and hard to achieve this. Yet people riding e-scooters can be seen all over Toronto without any fear of police enforcement.

 

The mayor’s new commitment is reported in an article in the November 6, 2024, Toronto Star, set out below. The AODA Alliance applauds the mayor’s commitment. We look forward to Toronto law enforcement putting it into action.

 

On November 4, 2024, Toronto police announced a two-week plan to step up action regarding e-scooters and other micromobility devices. However, the AODA Alliance’s November 5, 2024, news release criticized Toronto Police, because it was only intending to focus on people who ride e-scooters at excessive speeds or while unhelmeted. Ontario law bans any e-scooter riding in public, not just riding e-scooters too fast or while unhelmeted, as the Toronto Star article reports.

 

We call on Toronto Police Services to fully enforce the law against anyone riding e-scooters on streets, sidewalks, bike paths, park paths, or any public place where they are prohibited. E-scooters pose a silent menace that endangers safety and accessibility for vulnerable people with disabilities, seniors and others.

 

What You Can Do to Help

 

  • Write the Toronto Chief of Police. Tell them to fully enforce the ban on riding e-scooters anywhere in public in order to protect safety and accessibility for vulnerable people with disabilities, seniors and others. Email the Toronto Chief of Police by going to their web page for this.

 

  • Write Premier Ford. Tell him not to extend Toronto’s pilot project with e-scooters. Write him at premier@ontario.ca

 

  • Send a letter to the editor at the Toronto Star to call for Toronto police to fully enforce the ban on riding e-scooters anywhere in public in Toronto. Write The Star at lettertoed@thestar.ca

 

For More Background

 

 

 

 

MORE DETAILS

 

Toronto Star November 6, 2024

 

Originally posted at https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/theyre-a-silent-menace-toronto-police-to-crack-down-on-use-of-e-scooters-and/article_0edbfe2a-9b8d-11ef-9f25-3ff55a15518e.html

 

‘They’re a silent menace’: Toronto police to crack down on use of e-scooters and e-bikes

A total of 16 people have been killed or seriously injured while using micromobility vehicles so far this year, say Toronto police.

 

Toronto police and Traffic Services have launched a campaign to raise awareness and enforce rules around micromobility devices such as e-bikes and e-scooters.

 

Richard Lautens/Toronto Star file photo

By Serena AustinStaff Reporter

 

A total of 16 people have been killed or seriously injured while using a micromobility vehicle such as an e-scooter, bike or skateboard, so far this year, according to Toronto police.

 

These incidents are part of the reason why officers will be raising awareness and enforcing rules on the use of micromobility vehicles on the city’s roads as part of a two-week “safe rides, safe streets,” campaign.

 

“Toronto has seen an increase in various forms of electric vehicles, including e-bikes, electric kick scooters and electric one-wheeled devices,” police said in a news release Monday.

 

The enforcement campaign, which Toronto police said is meant to raise public awareness and enhance the safety of all road users, began on Nov. 4 and will end on Nov. 17.

 

According to the release, electric kick scooters, skateboards, unicycles and hoverboards are not allowed to be operated on Toronto’s roads.

 

During the campaign, police said Traffic Services officers will be educating members of the public and enforcing the Highway Traffic Act along with the City of Toronto’s bylaws applying to micromobility vehicles, with a focus on “unsafe behaviours.”

 

E-scooter ban in Toronto

Despite e-scooters popping up in multiple municipalities in recent years, Toronto council voted unanimously to opt out of the province’s pilot to roll them out in 2021.

 

A news release on the decision said council agreed with a report that found “significant accessibility barriers,” and issues surrounding “safety, enforcement, insurance and liability,” when it came to the use of both rental and privately owned e-scooters.

 

According to the City of Toronto’s website, e-scooters, also known as standing electric kick-scooters, are not allowed to be “operated, left, stored or parked,” on any public street including, bike lanes or cycle tracks, trails, paths, sidewalks or parks.

 

“We need to enforce the law, absolutely,” Mayor Olivia Chow said about micromobility vehicles. “The numbers of deaths and injuries of people riding them and people that are being hurt is unacceptable.”

 

“We need to keep everybody safe,” said Chow.

 

Advocates call for better enforcement

People with disabilities have been advocating “tenaciously” against allowing e-scooters on streets and in public spaces in Toronto and Ontario for the past five years, David Lepofsky, chair of the AODA Alliance, told the Star.

 

“They’re a silent menace for people like me,” said Lepofsky, who is blind.

 

Lepofsky is glad the city voted to prohibit e-scooters, which he said pose risks for people who are blind, seniors and people with mobility issues, because of their speed and how quiet they can be, among other factors.

 

“Riding e-scooters in Toronto is not legal,” he said. “It’s not just if you don’t wear a helmet of if you ride too fast. It’s just not legal.”

 

Despite being prohibited, “what our problem is,” said Lepofsky, “is if you go out on the street, you’re going to see scooters in Toronto all over the place,” which he believes comes from a lack of enforcement.

 

“It wouldn’t surprise me if there are people riding e-scooters who don’t have a clue that they’re not allowed,” he added.

 

In Lepofsky and the AODA Alliance’s perspective, it’s good that Toronto police are taking steps to raise awareness about rules on micromobility vehicles. But unless they focus on enforcing the fact that most, including e-scooters, are not allowed on the city’s roads, people with disabilities will be left “endangered,” he said.

 

Serena Austin is a Toronto-based general assignment reporter at the Star. Reach her via email: serenaaustin@thestar.ca