Electric scooter riders, service operators and sellers say they're keen to see e-scooters legalized and regulated, even after city council one again voted to keep them illegal on Toronto streets.Caryma Sa'd, an avid electric scooter user, says she likes to use e-scooters because they're easy and fun to ride, and allow her to beat Toronto traffic.
In all of last year, police issued just 89 tickets to people riding e-scooters or bikes on sidewalks, they told councillors at a meeting Thursday. Penalties related to driving motor vehicles or unauthorized vehicles on sidewalks, bike lanes and other public paths range from $60 to $90, the city told CBC Toronto in an email Friday.
Russell Murphy, the global communications director for e-scooter rental platform Lime, said he was disappointed with the city's latest decision to opt out of the pilot.He said a rental program would help the city tailor limitations on the speed of vehicles, where they can operate and ensure a level of accountability.The company, which operates in British Columbia, Alberta and is now coming to Mississauga in Ontario, is asking council to have an open mind to the benefits of its service.
But Asghar Mehrzada, a service manager at Toronto e-bike and e-scooter shop Movin' Mobility, says he's seen sales and interest in privately-owned e-scooters go up in recent years. They inform customers they aren't allowed to use them in Toronto, but it doesn't stop people from purchasing them, he added.
"I strongly urge better enforcement, stricter laws, greater penalties to act as a deterrent for people who are out there just recklessly going about the city."She was hit by an e-scooter despite Toronto's ban. The city needs to step up regulation, she says