Parc Jean-Drapeau: self-service scooters this summer
Parc Jean-Drapeau.
While the project had failed in Montreal – after an unsuccessful attempt started in 2019 – Self-service electric scooters will be available to visitors to Parc Jean-Drapeau this summer.
A park of 100 to 200 scooters will take place on Notre-Dame and Sainte-Hélène islands from June 24 to November 15, 2023. The project, which was adopted on Wednesday by the executive committee of the City of Montreal, aims to reduce the passage of cars through the park, reports La Presse. This objective is included in the 2020-2030 Master Plan of the Société du parc Jean-Drapeau (SPJD).
Helmet, GPS and speed limit
The future operator of this new service will have to comply with certain requirements to ensure everyone's safety. The scooters must be equipped with a GPS system, so that they can be located at all times. Measures will also have to be taken to limit the speed of machines and restrict their access to certain places.
In addition, the wearing of helmets will be compulsory for users who will have to take care not to block traffic or harm the well-being of pedestrians.
Deployed in the streets of the metropolis in the summer of 2019, this service had caused a number of complications, before being withdrawn by the City. Violations of the Highway Safety Code had been committed on multiple occasions by users. Scooters were often left in unsuitable areas, outside the areas reserved for them, effectively disrupting traffic.
Safety issues related to sharing lanes with pedestrians and cyclists were also raised.
