City police say zero-tolerance enforcement is now in effect when it comes to enclosed mobility scooters.
That could include fines of $50 to $65 under either the Highway Traffic Act or City of North Bay Bylaws.
The North Bay Police Service says you may have seen what appears to be micro cars driving around the city, on sidewalks and sometimes illegally with regular traffic.
Officials say the scooters are classified as pedestrians under the Highway Traffic Act, like an electric wheelchair and can only be legally operated on sidewalks, pedestrian trails, and parking lots.
If there’s no sidewalk, police say they can be carefully operated along the left edge of roadways, facing traffic, with other pedestrians.
“Despite a 5-month educational grace period, the North Bay Police Service continues to receive traffic complaints about enclosed mobility scooters being operated in through lanes and turning lanes with regular vehicle traffic,” states a release. “These devices offer minimal impact protection and their riders risk significant injury or death in the event of a collision with a motor vehicle.”
Charges for operating enclosed mobility scooters in live lanes of traffic can include:
- Pedestrian fail to walk on left side of highway, HTA s. 179, $35.00/$50.00 total fine
- Pedestrian on roadway fail to keep left edge, HTA s. 179, $35.00/$50.00 total fine
- Pedestrian interfere with movement of vehicles, City of North Bay Traffic By-Law 2014-38 s. 3.5(1), $50.00/$65.00 total fine
Police reiterate that E-bikes and E-scooters are classified as power-assisted bicycles under the Highway Traffic Act, (HTA) and can be operated on the roadways.
