Shared e-scooters on the agenda at Vancouver council

Richmond has welcomed an e-scooter sharing service from a company called Lime. (CTV)

The plan to bring shared e-scooters to Vancouver is moving forward.

Lime Technology Inc. – which operates scooter-shares in other B.C. cities like Richmond and Kelowna – is being recommended as the provider in Vancouver, according to a report coming to council next Wednesday.

“The system will provide a safe and reliable everyday transportation option for Vancouver residents and visitors, with lower barriers for identified equity-denied communities,” it reads.

City staff are asking council for the authority to negotiate a contract and service agreement for a five-year term, with the option of extending it. The scooter share is expected to be “revenue-neutral or revenue-generating” for the city, according to the report.

Council first approved a motion to “explore opportunities to implement a shared e-scooter system” more than two years ago, in June of 2022. No date for when the scooter share would actually launch is indicated in the report.

A drivers licence is not required to operate an e-scooter, but the province has established a set of standards and rules, including a minimum age of 16, a helmet requirement, and a prohibition on operating a scooter while impaired or distracted.

“These rules are the law. You may receive a $109 fine, have your device impounded or face other penalties of up to $2,000 if you don't follow these safety rules,” the province’s website says.

People using e-scooters are also covered by new provincial legislation meant to protect vulnerable road users by imposing minimum safe passing distances.