Most Canadians would prefer that e-scooters and e-bikes require a permit to operate, according to a new Nanos Research survey conducted for Â鶹´«Ã½.
The survey shows that 57 per cent of respondents support permit or licensing requirements, or both, for e-scooters and e-bikes.
Thirty-six per cent said e-scooters and e-bikes should be allowed to operate like bicycles. A small number of respondents, three per cent, would like e-scooters and e-bikes to be banned outright with the remaining four per cent undecided.
With the rise in popularity of e-scooters and e-bikes across Canada, some cities have introduced regulations. These include limiting their use on roads that go up to 50 km/h, limiting maximum speeds and having minimum age requirements to operate, Nanos Research says.
In June, Ottawa's accessibility advisory committee that would ask the city not to bring back electric scooters in 2025 over concerns they pose a risk to pedestrians and people with disabilities.
On Tuesday, a youth in Ottawa in an e-scooter crash.
The Nanos survey shows that about 45 per cent of respondents between the ages of 18 and 34 say a permit or licence should be required for the use of e-scooters and e-bikes. This is compared to 57.5 per cent of respondents between 35 and 54, and about 65 per cent of respondents over 55. Ontario has the most support among Canadian provinces for licensing regulations at over 65 per cent.
Nanos Research also asked Canadians their level of support for restricting the construction of bike lanes, if building those lanes means replacing traffic lanes for cars.
The survey found that 40 per cent of respondents oppose restricting the construction of bike lanes in this situation and 24 per cent support the move. The remainder of those surveyed offered limited support or opposition, with five per cent undecided.
In September, a source confirmed that the Ford government is considering restricting Ontario municipalities from that would require the removal of traffic lanes ahead of a gridlock reduction bill expected to be tabled this fall.
Methodology
Nanos conducted an RDD dual frame (land- and cell-lines) hybrid telephone and online random survey of 1,058 Canadians, 18 years of age or older, between Sept. 29 and Oct. 2, 2024, as part of an omnibus survey. Participants were randomly recruited by telephone using live agents and administered a survey online. The sample included both land- and cell-lines across Canada. The results were statistically checked and weighted by age and gender using the latest Census information and the sample is geographically stratified to be representative of Canada. Individuals randomly called using random digit dialling with a maximum of five call backs. The margin of error for this survey is ±3.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. This study was commissioned by Â鶹´«Ã½ and the research was conducted by Nanos Research.
