Enclosed mobility devices bring up bylaw debate

Council will be sending a letter to the Ministry of Transportation and Economic Corridors, to see if the Provincial Government will be looking into regulations surrounding mobility aids.

“Mobility aids have come a long way since the traffic laws were created,” said Mayor Craig Copeland. “Some of them are designed to look like small cars, but they don’t follow the same rules as cars.”

Council discussed the usage of mobility aids, specifically small, enclosed transportation units, at length after receiving multiple reports of the devices driving on the Millennium Trail and roadways.

“Technically as a mobility aid, it’s allowed on the trails,” said Copeland. “But people walking and biking are getting honked at by these tiny vehicles, and forced off to the side, which isn’t what we want to hear.”

A specific model in question is the Gio, which at nearly two metres in length, and 1.3 metres wide, looks and operates similar to a Smart Car. The Gio, however, is smaller, fully battery operated, has a maximum speed of 29km/h, and classified as an enclosed mobility aid.

“It could be compared to something like a golf cart. It doesn’t go very fast, but it’s still almost 700 pounds barreling down the trail,” said Copeland. “We’re starting to see a handful of them around and understand more residents are ordering them. If an accident or collision were to occur, there’s a lot of loose ends as to how it could be resolved.”

Mobility aids do not require a driver’s licence, insurance, or registration to operate and are considered a “pedestrian,” meaning they are allowed on trails, sidewalks, and roadways to get around, just as a person walking would.

“We want to know if the Government of Alberta is working on updating the legislation for these kinds of devices,” said Copeland. “We’re sure we’re not the only municipality facing these kinds of encounters, and before we start making any decisions ourselves, we are hoping the Province will take a lead, as it’s their legislation that needs to be adapted to accommodate this new technology.”

Questions were also raised on the use of Class III electric bikes and scooters, as these types of equipment are known to have speed capacities well beyond 30km/h, as they don’t have governors built into this Class of imported equipment.

As a municipality, the City of Cold Lake could update its Off-highway Vehicle and Traffic Bylaws to regulate the use of these kinds of devices. Council’s Corporate Priorities Committee recommended that Council write to the Minister of Transportation first, before considering the scope of municipal regulation requirements.