In this week’s committee of the whole meeting, Victoria city council unanimously approved a motion that calls for mobility scooters to be allowed to use bike lanes.
The motion was brought forward by Councillor Dave Thompson, an advocate for seniors and people with disabilities who find it safer to use their wheelchairs and mobility scooters in Victoria’s bike lanes, rather than on sidewalks.
However, provincial legislation states that wheelchair and mobility scooter users technically aren’t allowed to be anywhere pedestrians are not allowed.
This means those using these mobility aids are only allowed to use sidewalks and crosswalks.
Though Thompson’s motion passing cannot change provincial legislation immediately, it can potentially sway the BC government.
This motion’s recommendation was to have a resolution on the matter brought to both the next Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities (AVICC) and Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) conferences.
Through those organizations, municipalities can advocate to the Province with a stronger voice for change to come.
After being unanimously supported in the committee of the whole, Thompson’s motion was also approved in the council meeting to follow and will be brought forward as a resolution to the AVICC and UBCM.
The next AVICC conference will take place between April 24th and 26th in Victoria, and the next UBCM conference will be in Vancouver from September 14th to 18th.
