Motion
WHEREAS, in Ontario, the use of e-scooters is prohibited, subject to any pilot projects adopted under O. Reg. 389/19 – Pilot Project – Electric Kick-Scooters;
WHEREAS the Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) has been actively engaged on the City of Ottawa’s shared Electric Kick Scooter Pilot in Ottawa, including during the 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 pilot projects;
WHEREAS the AAC had, based on the results of the 2020 and 2021 pilot projects, passed a motion (AAC 2022 1/20) advising City Council:
- not to conduct any more pilots that would allow e-scooters to be used in any public places in Ottawa, whether the e-scooter is owned by, borrowed by, or rented by the rider; and
- to decline any further participation in O.Reg 389/19 – Pilot Project – Electric Kick-Scooters.
WHEREAS the AAC had subsequently passed a motion (AAC2023-01-01) which rescinded Motion AAC 2022 1/20, and further stipulated:
THAT the AAC supports the continuation of the City of Ottawa’s shared Electric Kick Scooter Pilot, provided that the pilot:
- Only allows the use of shared e-scooters provided by qualified providers;
- Requires qualified providers to use accessibility barrier-preventing technologies on their shared e-scooters; and
- Dedicates adequate resources to monitoring and enforcing the rules of the pilot, including a fifteen-minute response window for complaints, and adequate deterrents and consequences for misuse of e-scooters.
WHEREAS the AAC based this motion on the fact that the technology on shared e-scooters eliminated the accessibility barriers by preventing improper parking and sidewalk riding, and included sound emission that would alert pedestrians of their approach;
WHEREAS this motion was passed without any input from public delegations, unlike the previous motion recommending against e-scooters;
WHEREAS there have been numerous reports of sidewalk-riding, improperly parked e-scooters, and e-scooters not emitting a sound that could be heard above the noise of city traffic reported to blind and partially-sighted stakeholder groups;
WHEREAS the City’s own report on the 2023 pilot notes that more than half of all survey respondents encountered improperly parked e-scooters, and users riding e-scooters along sidewalks and further recognizes that only 4% of respondents took the time to report rule infractions to the City;
WHEREAS there is growing evidence, based on the above, that the barrier prevention technology is not as effective as the e-scooter providers indicate, and e-scooters continue to pose a threat to disabled, elderly, and vulnerable pedestrians;
BE IT RESOLVED that the AAC rescind Motion AAC2023-01-01; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that:
- the AAC express to City staff and City Council that they no longer uphold their support for the continuation of the e-scooter pilot, and further express their very serious concern over the safety issues posed by e-scooters, both shared and privately-owned, to persons with disabilities, elderly and all vulnerable pedestrians; and
- The AAC advise City staff to make it easier to report non-compliance and actively encourage all people who witness improperly parked e-scooters or e-scooters riding along the sidewalks to report this to the city; and
- The AAC advise City Council to be prepared to stop the pilot if e-scooter riders continue to demonstrate that they are not operating the e-scooters in accordance with the rules and continue to pose a serious safety risk.