By Roy Wood, Special to The Times Chronicle

With just hours to spare on April 4, Osoyoos signed on for another four years of a provincial pilot project – the Electric Kick Scooter Pilot Project – allowing electric kick scooters to operate on town streets.

The original two-year pilot project began April 5, 2022 in a number of participating municipalities, including Osoyoos. Its intent was to evaluate safety, environmental and other aspects the two-wheeled devices.

A second project, four years in duration, begins immediately after the end of the first. Town administration had been under the impression that their participation would automatically continue.

However, it turns out that is not the case and, without a new notice of consent from the town, electric kick scooters would have become illegal starting on Friday.

A short special council meeting convened Thursday morning to provide such consent. The matter passed unanimously with no discussion.

Under the town’s traffic bylaw, electric kick scooters, or e-scooters, are permitted to operate on town roads with some restrictions, including:

  • No riding on sidewalks or pedestrian walkways unless specifically allowed;
  • Must ride as near as possible to the right side of a roadway;
  • Must not carry more than the designated number of people;
  • Must not wear headphones; and
  • Must wear a helmet.

According to a report to council from corporate services director Brianne Hillson, “The new review will enable the collection of better health and safety data, (which) will address outstanding questions about the safe integration of e-scooters into transportation networks.”

The provincial transport ministry will lead a health and safety evaluation along with Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) and the BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit.

According to a release from the province, national data indicates that 99.9 per cent of e-scooter trips end without incident.

Under the new program, the town will continue to decide how and where e-scooters will operate. No changes to the traffic bylaw are expected.