Amendments to Motor Vehicle Act

Amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act will permit the safe operation of electric kick scooters (e-scooters) on municipal roadways.

Changes introduced today, April 5, set the minimum age, maximum speed and other requirements in legislation and will allow municipalities to create bylaws related to where people can operate e-scooters and other rules for their use.

“We support and encourage the safe use of alternative transportation options that are low cost, energy efficient and convenient,” said Public Works Minister Kim Masland. “When it comes to e-scooters, it makes sense for municipalities to set the rules for their use in their communities. There is growing interest in e-scooters, and we are putting general rules in place to keep everyone safe.”

The proposed amendments include a minimum age of 14 to use e-scooters, a maximum permitted speed of 32 km/h, helmet requirements and other operation restrictions. Municipalities will have the discretion to set a lower speed limit, as well as decide if e-scooters will be permitted on roads, sidewalks or shared sidewalks.

Quick Facts:

• Nova Scotia's Motor Vehicle Act is being replaced with a new, modern Traffic Safety Act that will help make the province’s roads and highways safer
• the Traffic Safety Act is undergoing extensive consultation and is expected to take about three years to be proclaimed
• before the Traffic Safety Act is proclaimed, time-sensitive amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act will allow important projects and initiatives to move forward

Additional Resources:

Bills tabled in the legislature this spring are available at: https://nslegislature.ca/legislative-business/bills-statutes/bills/assembly-64-session-1

Registry of Motor Vehicles: https://novascotia.ca/driving-and-road-safety/