SASKATOON -- The City of Saskatoon could be ready to take electric scooters for a spin by next spring according to a new report.
The report, which comes after a Saskatoon entrepreneur made a pitch to bring e-scooters to the city, outlines how the city might move ahead with a pilot program.
In preparing the report, city administration looked to other Canadian jurisdictions where the scooters have been used, particularly Calgary and Ottawa.
The city also consulted with SGI. The provincial regulator said the micro-mobility vehicles are "non-compliant" and cannot travel on roadways.
The Traffic Safety Act does not apply to sidewalks and areas used for parking, the report said.
A tweak to a city bylaw would be needed to allow e-scooters on city sidewalks, according to the report.
If city councillors give the go-ahead for a pilot program, and it goes well, the scooters could become a permanent part of the city's transportation mix.
However, according to the report, the city's transportation staff are fully committed to other projects until next year.
If city council agrees to pause one of the projects, the pilot could roll out by April 2022.
Otherwise, the report states the pilot would likely go ahead in 2023.
