City of Cold Lake faces growing concerns about electric mobility devices, seeks clarity from provincial government
COLD LAKE - City of Cold Lake council will be writing a letter to the provincial government as it seeks clarity about regulations around the use of enclosed electric scooters in the community, along with other small electric mobility devices.
The small, enclosed vehicles, sometimes known as GIO models, are appearing on sidewalks and trails in Cold Lake, more and more. On Oct. 22, council members approved a motion to send a letter to the Government of Alberta, seeking clarity on the regulatory status of the small electric vehicles and any changes to legislation that may be coming up.
With safety concerns on the rise, council wants to ensure local regulations keep pace with emerging technology.
On Oct. 28, a woman was seriously injured along a trail in Cold Lake by what was described as an electric scooter, although police were not positive on the type of scooter involved when Lakeland This Week spoke with an RCMP spokesperson, last week.
City of Cold Lake Mayor Craig Copeland addressed the recent incident that took place on Millennium Trail, speaking with Lakeland This Week and emphasizing the city's concern and commitment to improving safety measures while seeking provincial guidance on regulating new transportation technology - like e-bikes and GIO scooters.
"We heard about the accident first thing in the morning. It's real tragic . . . Everybody's thoughts and prayers are with the poor lady that was struck," said Copeland.
Commenting on the investigation, Copeland stated, "In terms of the details of what transpired, I know the RCMP are investigating it, and we haven't been given any new information on [what] did happen there." He acknowledged the challenge of trail safety, adding, "there's parts of the Millennium Trail that are dark, and it's unfortunate that this happened."
Speaking on the decision to send a letter to the province to clarify regulations around these types of mobility devices, "We've asked the province for some guidance, and so right now we know that we're not the only municipality that's faced with this," said Copeland. "We'll wait for the province's response to our letter for advisement. . . We'll wait for that before council makes a decision on whether or not we should adopt our own bylaw."
Explaining why council initially raised this issue, Copeland said, "The reason why we brought [this] forward is we had some correspondence from the community concerned about the bikes and the GIO scooter vehicles."
Copeland expressed empathy toward all those involved in the incident, stating, "I'm sure that the operator of the [device] that struck the lady - I'm sure that they weren't intending to do that."
He also extended appreciation for the responders, saying, "We appreciate all the first responders and the work by our local hospital and the emergency air ambulance."
Council discussions
Presenting a draft letter to council on Oct. 22, Andrew Jabs, Manager of Land Use Planning, Development, and Regulatory Services, stated the letter will ask the province how the electric models "fit into the regulatory framework for highway and off-highway vehicles in the province of Alberta."
Council members noted the ambiguity surrounding the classification of GIO models, which may fall under categories such as "mobility aid," "off-highway vehicle," or "miniature vehicle." The classification issue is important because each category operates under different regulations, and there have been increasing encounters from the public regarding the use of these vehicles, according to information from the City of Cold Lake.
During the meeting, Coun. Bob Mattice asked, "When we send a letter like this to a minister, is there a defined or expected time for us to hear back from them?"
Copeland replied, stating, "I don't think there's a standard in government. It really depends on the office and what you're asking, but in most cases, they do write to us, but sometimes they don't."
CAO Kevin Nagoya expressed optimism about the timeline to hear back from the province, saying, "I think the response will be quite in short order. I don't think it will take that long."
Mattice further commented on the topic, saying he has noticed one particular vehicle drive on the sidewalk, then onto the road and onto Millennium Trail, but noted that the coming winters months may solve some of the problems.
In a public statement made after the council meeting, Copeland said, "Mobility aids have come a long way since the traffic laws were created. Some of them are designed to look like small cars, but they don't follow the same rules as cars."
He further explained the challenges presented by the vehicles.
"Technically as a mobility aid, it's allowed on the trails, but people walking and biking are getting honked at by these tiny vehicles, and forced off to the side, which isn't what we want to hear."
The GIO model, resembling a small car, measures nearly two meters in length and 1.3 meters in width, with a maximum speed of 29 km/h. It is fully battery-operated and classified as an enclosed mobility aid.
Copeland noted the potential hazards with the small vehicles, stating, "It could be compared to something like a golf cart. It doesn't go very fast, but it's still almost 700 pounds barrelling down the trail. We're starting to see a handful of them around and understand more residents are ordering them."
The mayor added, "We're not the only municipality facing these kinds of encounters, and before we start making any decisions ourselves, we are hoping the province will take a lead, as it's their legislation that needs to be adapted to accommodate this new technology."
