Using its newly introduced driving-focused legislation, the Ford government is looking to more significantly regulate the use of certain e-bikes.
Proposed law changes in Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria's latest bill are aimed at improving road safety, a news release published by his ministry on Thursday said.
If passed, Sarkaria's bill would allow the provincial government to categorize what the Ministry of Transportation describes as "more dangerous e-bikes" that could only be legally ridden by someone meeting certain requirements — not unlike those that drivers must meet. The bill opens the door to the possibility that a licence or insurance could be required to ride heavier-duty e-bikes. Such requirements, however, aren't specified in the legislation; they'd be determined later by the government through regulations.
The proposal is in response to the proliferation of e-bike usage, according to the Ministry of Transportation's news release. "As the popularity of e-bikes continues to rise in Ontario, so does the reported number of collisions, significant injuries and fatalities," it said. The ministry's news release also notes that 78 per cent of reported e-bike collisions last year resulted in "serious injuries."
E-bike popularity has increased across North America in recent years, with several research firms' reports projecting the trend to continue over the rest of the decade. Within cities, they provide a lower-cost and -emissions option to driving a car. They've also become among the transportation methods of choice for couriers of small items, like meals — a service that has also grown in popularity in recent years.
In response to the rise in popularity of e-bikes, there have been various responses from different jurisdictions, including to encourage their use in many cases. Within Ontario, there have been multiple municipalities that have partnered with e-bike companies to create bike-share programs.
Next Wednesday, Toronto City Council is set to consider a motion to call on the provincial government to give it the authority "to license couriers and their vehicles, and to require that they carry adequate third-party liability insurance."
Proposed law changes that could affect e-bike riders are part of Sarkaria's larger Safer Roads and Communities Act, which would also increase driving penalties for people convicted of auto theft, stunt driving and impaired driving, causing someone's death.
In tandem with the introduction of Sarkaria's bill, the provincial government also announced it'll be conducting a review of commercial driving training that it also hopes to use to receive feedback about other ways it could improve road safety.
