E-scooters could hit some B.C. streets by summer

You might be able to use an e-scooter to do your errands around town as early as summer in some B.C. municipalities. 

The province's Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is accepting proposals from municipalities interested in testing new transportation technologies like e-scooters — motorized kick scooters — and electric skateboards for a pilot project. 

E-scooters are currently not permitted on roadways and sidewalks under B.C.'s Motor Vehicle Act. 

Rick Glumack​​​​​​, B.C.'s parliamentary secretary for technology and the MLA for Port Moody-Coquitlam, says the point of the pilot project is to find out how best to regulate these types of vehicles.

"The idea would be that regulations would be developed at the local level and we would learn from that," Glumack told Kathryn Marlow, host of CBC's All Points West. 

"And that would help the province down the road to bring in provincial legislation to govern these new technologies."

Glumack says one city that's already expressed interest is Kelowna — which has already been piloting a project on some park walkways and trails. 

E-scooters are already part of the transportation network in cities like Los Angeles, and closer to home in Edmonton and Calgary. 

"We're looking to many jurisdictions to learn as much as possible," he said. "But you know B.C. also is unique in many ways, and that's why we want to test these regulations within the province within our own context as well."

The deadline for municipalities to apply to be part of the pilot project is March 6. The pilot projects will be rolled out as early as summer 2020. 

Listen to the interview with Rick Glumack on All Points West: