Richmond RCMP partner with ICBC and local Richmond student to create educational video for e-scooter users.

Click here to see the full article and view the video.

Richmond was selected as one of the cities to participate in the province of BC’s three-year Electric Kick Scooter Pilot Project. Since July 2021, community members have been allowed to legally ride an e-scooter on some municipal streets and paved pathways, while adhering to provincial Motor Vehicle Act regulations and City bylaws.

Since the launch of the pilot, Richmond RCMP has been conducting proactive education through social media as well as in person. To further enhance our approach, Richmond RCMP has partnered with ICBC and a local Richmond student, Justin Blais, to produce a video to assist with getting the message out.

E-scooters and ebikes are great options for getting around Richmond, however, to ensure everyone’s safety it’s vital that users know, understand and follow the rules, says Corporal Adriana O’Malley, Richmond RCMP Media Relations officer, We are very appreciative of Justin for assisting us with creating this video aimed at enhancing community safety.

Provincial regulations for e-scooter operators include:

• You must be 16 years or older.
• You must wear a helmet.
• No drugs or alcohol. It is illegal to operate an electric kick scooter while impaired by alcohol or drugs.
• Ride alone. You must not transport any passengers. This includes no towing another person, vehicle, cycle, or other device, including another electric kick scooter.

Failing to follow these rules can be costly, resulting in fines up to $ 2,000.00. To learn more about e-scooter regulations visit the BC Government website.

In the City of Richmond, e-scooters are permitted to operate only on the following routes:

• Streets with cycling facilities such as bike lanes.
• Local streets without cycling facilities, defined as a street without lanes lines or a directional dividing line and a maximum speed limit of 50 km/h or less.
• Streets without cycling facilities that have a directional dividing line and a maximum speed limit of 30 km/hour.
• Off-street paved pathways next to the roadway or in parks that are signed and marked for shared use with pedestrians.

E-scooters are not permitted on sidewalks or on unpaved trails. Maximum speeds are:

• 20 km/h on roadways.
• 15 km/h on paved pathways shared with pedestrians.

Fines for infractions range from $95.00 to $175.00.

To learn more, visit the City of Richmond website.

It is important to note that Municipal by-laws for e-scooters may vary between jurisdictions so it’s important to familiarize yourself with the by-laws of the community in which you are riding.
To report unsafe riding behaviour call the Richmond RCMP non-emergency telephone number at 604-278-1212 or via online crime reporting.
 

Released by

Cpl. Adriana O'Malley

Media Relations Officer
Richmond RCMP
11411 No 5 Road, Richmond, BC, V7A 4E8
Office: 604-207-5189
Fax: 604-207-4716

Email: richmond_media@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
Website: richmond.rcmp.ca