Graphic courtesy City of Saskatoon
Saskatoon motorists will have to get used to sharing the road with e-scooters, as City Council has voted to amend the Traffic Bylaw and allow them on public streets seasonally, every year.
Although the benefits of the initiative were discussed, such as providing a less expensive, more eco-friendly mode of transportation, City Councilors also acknowledged some concerns the scooters have generated since they first appeared as part of a pilot project.
The e-scooter pilot began in 2023 and ended in fall of 2024. In 2024, Saskatchewan health Authority reported 53 scooter-related emergency room trips in Saskatoon.
Mayor Cynthia Block says currently, there is no enforcement of helmets or scooter parking requirements. She suggests that needs to change.
“Maybe it takes people a little bit to catch on to that, but a penalty would probably convince them to learn it more quickly.”
Isaac Ransom with Neuron Mobility says if the City wanted to invest in one, a fine system could be implemented to discourage misuse, however other communities have not taken this approach.
“In other communities, bylaw officers have not offered tickets to riders…. they simply observe the identifier on the e-scooter or the time and location, and then we followed up with warnings.”
He says soft infrastructure such as signs, mats, and decals could be implemented, as well.
Helmet safety wasn’t the only concern discussed. Councilor Robert Pearce says he received pictures of said scooters parked in front of sidewalk accessibility ramps, preventing those in wheelchairs from crossing the street. Pearce claimed the park job was the doing of Neuron employees, and asked Ransom to comment.
Ransom stated that “deployment would never happen in an intersection like this. This is a mis-park issue.”
Pearce also inquired whether or not riders, or the company, have insurance should an accident occur.
“A person who sent this to me, and I know he’s not alone, he had over $5000 damage done to his vehicle while it was parked on the side of the road. A gentleman lost control of his scooter. It was one of your scooters, I believe. Apparently, he was told there is no coverage, by someone from your company, to cover the damages to his vehicle.”
Ransom replied that these instances are rare, but when they do occur, the company does carry liability insurance, as do riders, except when they are directly responsible for the accident.
