Electric scooters can travel up to 25 km/h in Quebec

Electric scooters can legally circulate on streets with speeds of 50 km/h or less from July 20. The Legault government will give the green light to a three-year project to test this type of vehicle for drivers aged 14 and over.

Electric scooters may be “illegal” in Quebec for now, but we’ll be seeing more and more of them, especially on the streets of Montreal. This legal ambiguity will be removed in two weeks thanks to a ministerial decree published on Thursday by the Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Genevieve Guilbault.

“There is a need to experiment more widely with their use in relation to road safety,” the minister argued in the five-page document.

Although the self-service electric scooter project has been running since 1^er In July park Jean-Drapeau and another this summer in Laval, the minister judged that “these pilot projects [de trottinettes en libre-service] Electric scooters and personal transport devices do not make it possible to take a full measure of usage.

Electric scooters are allowed in Quebec at a maximum speed of 25 km/h. Motor power is limited to 500 watts. They must have wheels with a diameter of at least 19 cm and reflectors. Their maximum weight is 36 kilograms.

At times only one person can ride the scooters. Headphones are prohibited.

“For two or three years, we have seen a significant increase in these vehicles in the bicycle network, and not just electric scooters,” explained Nicolas Vigneault, spokesman for the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility.

He explains that the current law will also have to anticipate the arrival of new emerging vehicles in the coming years, gyroroos, these electric vehicles with a single wheel, without support arms. These vehicles will also be allowed from July 20 as per the decree passed on Thursday.

A project in Laval

For its part, the city of Laval, which is awaiting the green light from Quebec to start a self-service scooter pilot project, will amend its municipal bylaws to conform to this new legislative framework. The first permit is ready to go into effect with supplier Bird Canada, the municipality’s head of public affairs, Philippe Dery, confirmed.

“This is good news for citizens because it opens the door to new forms of sustainable mobility,” argued the spokesperson. However, he cannot predict the launch date.

Around a hundred scooters will be installed this summer at 33 stations spread across the operating area between Cure-Labelle and des Laurentides boulevards and between the A440 and Rivière des Prairies. Other suppliers may join the project, according to the City.

The rate per minute set by the operator for self-service scooters in Laval is not specified. Cars are equipped with GPS sensors that allow them to be tracked live. If a user leaves the operating area, the scooter slows down slowly before stopping.

Watch in video