Legal Information
Scooters - Electric Bikes - Mopeds: Confusion with Names
It's easy to get confused with the names commonly being used for two wheel vehicles, and we are guilty of using the word 'scooter' for the Motorino products when they are, technically, 'power-assisted bicycles'. Because the Motorino XP product line looks like the gas-engine powered scooters that have been made for decades, most people get a better mental image if we call them electric scooters.
Many of the legal requirements for vehicles in Manitoba are laid out in the Highway Traffic Act (a provincial document). A second layer of laws are federal - Transport Canada dictates many of the details for configuration, safety features, identification and so-on. Although an oversimplification, you could say that federal law determines how the vehicle has to be built and how it has to perform in a safe manner, while provincial law lays out the rules of the road - speed limits, traffic patterns, how vehicles from bicycles to tractor-trailers have to share the road safely, and so-on. (This is so Canadian - both levels of government regulate motor vehicles and there is lots of overlap in jurisdiction, plus there are about a dozen provincial/territorial sets of rules across the country.)
Power Assisted Cycles and Transport Canada
Motorino's product line is imported into Canada in compliance with Section 1.2.1 of the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Act (which is enforced by Transport Canada.) You will find a sticker on every Motorino product that certifies this compliance.
Power-Assisted Bicycles and Mopeds in Manitoba
Manitoba's Highway Traffic Act does not actually make any reference to 'scooters', so for legal purposes, we need to pay attention to the vehicles that are referenced in the Act: bicycles, power-assisted bicycles, mopeds, and motorcycles. Bicycles and power-assisted bicycles are treated similarly in Manitoba - they do not require insurance from Manitoba Public Insurance, nor do they require a license plate or registration. The important limitations for power-assisted bicycles include:
- has a handlebar for steering and pedals
- can be propelled by muscle power applied to the pedals
- has an electric motor but no other type of motor
- the motor must not exceed 500 watts rated output
- cannot exceed 32 km/hr using the motor
Motorino's XP products comply with all the Manitoba rules for power- assisted bicycles.
The next class of vehicles above power-assisted bicycles are mopeds, and these may be engine powered (maximum 50 cc) or electric motor powered, may or may not have pedals, and must not be capable of going faster than 50 km/hr. Many of the smaller gasoline engine scooters sold in Manitoba will actually be classed as mopeds and will require registration and insurance from Manitoba Public Insurance. Scooters with larger engines will be classed as motorcycles. You will notice both of these kinds of vehicles with Manitoba license plates similar to automobile plates.
Motorcycles are 2 or 3-wheeled vehicles capable of going faster than 50 km/hr and having handlebars for steering. In addition to insurance and registration, motorcycle operators require a Class 6 license.
Minimum Age and Helmet Rules
Manitoba's Highway Traffic Act requires that the minimum age for operating a power-assisted bicycle is 14 years of age and that a properly fitted and fastened helmet is worn while riding.
Insurance
Power-assisted bicycles are typically included in home owner or tenant insurance, so it would be wise to contact your insurer with a description of the model, serial number, and other details so that your scooter is included in your policy.
Manitoba Public Insurance does not list power-assisted bicycles and does not insure them as vehicles.