Quebec bans scooters and mopeds that don't meet safety standards
CBC
Motorcycles, scooters and other mopeds that do not meet federal safety standards are now banned in Quebec, the province's auto insurance board announced Tuesday.
These increasingly popular, often electrically powered vehicles can seen zipping down bike paths, roads and sidewalks, but they are non-compliant with Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS).
"These vehicles pose a safety risk to vulnerable users of sidewalks and bike paths due to their high weight and the speeds they can reach," the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) says in a news release.
Also, the SAAQ adds, it's a matter of fairness to the owners of compliant motorcycles and mopeds who must register their vehicles and hold the correct class of driver's licence to drive them on the road network.
As of Tuesday, access to public roads is prohibited for two- or three-wheeled motorized vehicles that, with or without pedals, resemble a motorcycle or moped, do not bear the national safety mark and have at least one of the following characteristics:
The SAAQ has already prohibited the sale and importation of these vehicles in Quebec due to their lack of certification.
Penalties for violating the new regulation range from $300 to $600.
Exceptions to the ban include:
Cycling advocates have been urging the government to act on this issue for several years to ensure better coexistence on public roads.
Magali Bebronne, spokesperson for the Montreal-based bicycle advocacy group Vélo Québec, told CBC Montreal's Let's Go that her organization has been asking for action for some time.
Manufacturers of these electric vehicles have been adding things like fake pedals and redesigning them so they pass as e-bikes so they can be driven on bike paths, but that was making traditional bike path users uncomfortable, she said.
"Everybody could see they were actually mopeds," she said, citing safety concerns due to the weight and speed. "We know what a moped is."
She said it's not clear how many of these vehicles are involved in collisions because the SAAQ only keeps statistics on licensed vehicles. That means collisions involving e-bikes or e-scooters are not covered by public car insurance, she said.
She said it's the number-one concern for people on bike paths right now. She said the new regulations are a good step in the right direction, but Vélo Québec was hoping for revisions to rules regarding electric bikes as well.