The issue of e-bike scofflaws has grown considerably over the last few years, normally taking the form of teenagers on fast e-bikes illegally cruising down sidewalks or recklessly riding through intersections. But as it turns out, Canada’s largest province is full of e-bike scofflaws of a different variety: parents simply wanting to bring their kids to school without using a car.
In Ontario, home to over a third of Canada’s population, laws governing micromobility devices like e-bikes do not permit anyone under 16 on board, either as the main rider or a passenger. Despite the ban, every school day, there are thousands of parents who line up to drop their kids off at school on the back of a cargo e-bike, in full violation of the law.
It’s a popular form of school drop-off vehicle that helps parents save time, cut down on fuel costs, and get more fresh air with their kids. Local mother Jodi Enns uses a cargo e-bike to bring her two kids to school in the morning. “This bike has changed my life,” Enns explained to the Toronto Star. “People stop us on the street to ask us where we got the bike. I’ve recommended it to lots of people. I just don’t tell them it’s illegal.”
But with more parents than ever shifting towards e-bikes for carpool duties, it’s become hard for the government to ignore. And fortunately, they’ve seen the value in it. Now the Ontario Ministry of Transportation is preparing an update to the regulations that will remove the prohibition of children riding as passengers on electric bikes.
