Vancouver cyclist wants to ban electric scooters and ebikes on seawall
Posted April 18, 2024 9:59 pm.
Last Updated April 19, 2024 11:04 am.
A Vancouver cyclist is sounding the alarm over the dangers of electric scooters on the seawall.
Wendy Royal says she was left traumatized after an electric scooter hit her while she was biking the seawall last March with her nine-year-old granddaughter.
“My first reaction was I was just so grateful that it hit me and not my granddaughter, who was right behind me, because she would have hit her right in the face, and that would have been catastrophic,” Royal said.
“She’s only 50 pounds.”
Royal says the accident happened on the seawall next to George Wainborn park when a scooter going in the opposite direction lost control and crashed into her.
She was left with a serious arm laceration that required a trip to the E.R., where she received 25 stitches.
“It cut right down to what looks like the bone,” she said.
“And when I got home that day, my husband found pieces of flesh stuck to my jacket.”
Royal is worried there could be an increase in injuries like hers after the Vancouver Park Board approved an amendment to a bylaw that would allow electric scooters and e-bikes on the seawall.
“I’m really worried about it, as you can imaging,” she said. “At the time, there were no signs saying e-scooters were illegal.
In a statement to CityNews, the City of Vancouver says, in part, users will be held responsible in the case of a collision.
“[They] should be sure that they have appropriate insurance, often through homeowner or rental insurance policies,” the statement said.
“The City will also continue to work with Vancouver Coastal Health and other partners to understand collisions on our transportation network and work towards eliminating them.”
Royal says electic scooters and e-bikes should be covered by ICBC.
“They should be treated like motor vehicles,” she said.
In an email, ICBC confirmed it does not insure electric scooters.
For now, Royal would like the City of Vancouver to increase patrol on the seawall and to make sure riders are following the speed limits to ensure no one gets hurt again.
