Torontonians who are caught driving electronic kick scooters in the city could get slammed with a fine of up to $25,000, according to police.
On Sunday, Toronto police’s Traffic Unit posted a TikTok of someone riding an electronic scooter along Lake Shore Boulevard downtown, asking if viewers could spot the motorcycle in the video.
“Yeah, I’m actually talking to the guy standing on the e-kick scooter,” Const. Sean Shapiro said in the video, which has amassed nearly 190,000 views at the time of publication.
“Why is it a motorcycle? Because it goes beyond 24 kilometres an hour, which means it’s not covered under the provincial pilot that allows them in some municipalities – not Toronto, by the way.”
As of Jan. 1, 2020, Ontario launched its five-year electronic scooter pilot program, which gave municipalities the option to opt in and choose where and how they can be used.
However, Toronto’s city council unanimously voted in May 2021 against opting into the e-scooter pilot program. According to the City, these types of motorized kick-scooters cannot be “operated, left, stored or parked” on any public street or pathway in the city.
In the caption of the video, Toronto police say e-scooters are considered motor vehicles if municipalities do not opt-in to the provincial pilot program, and are subject to the same rules as motorcycles under the Highway Traffic Act.
“So, because it’s a motorcycle, it requires a motorcycle licence, it requires a registration and plate,” Shapiro said in the video.
“It also requires insurance, which means this person, on first conviction, can get fines of $5,000 to $25,000 and up to six months in jail. Not worth it.”