Rentable e-scooters may kick off in Kamloops this spring
Kamloops city council is set to debate whether to become the 24th BC community to allow e-scooters. The Tournament Capital was tapped to join in a provincial pilot project and, a year after first hearing about it from staff, it's back on the table at city hall. If approved, electric...
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Kamloops city council is set to debate whether to become the 24th BC community to allow e-scooters.
The Tournament Capital was tapped to join in a provincial pilot project and, a year after first hearing about it from staff, it's back on the table at city hall.
If approved, electric kick scooters would be allowed in bike lanes as they are in 23 other BC cities until at least April 2028, according to a report going to city council next week.
They currently aren't technically allowed on Kamloops roads, but staff noted an increase in private electric scooters in the city and there was no suggestion that bylaws against them have been enforced.
Along with allowing privately owned scooters on Kamloops roadways, council's approval would also be expected to pave the way for an agreement with a rental scooter provider like Lime or Bird.
A dozen BC cities were part of the initial launch of the pilot program in 2021, including Kelowna, Vernon and Penticton. By 2024, Kelowna saw more than a million rides
https://infotel.ca/inwheels/new-rules-and-four-year-extension-for-e-scooters-in-kelowna/it102718
, while 40% of the 215,000 rides in Vernon's first two years replaced trips that normally would have been done by car.
It has come with enforcement of dangerous riding and with injuries, but injuries dropped over time as safety measures stepped up, according to an Interior Health letter to council.
City council will consider joining on the pilot project and seeking an agreement with a rental company at its Dec. 10 meeting.
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