Alberta's elected officials may soon be able to charge e-scooter and e-bike rides to taxpayers — but a legislative committee is treading carefully before making that leap.
A bipartisan group of MLAs this week unanimously moved forward with exploring corporate partnerships with micro-mobility providers like Lime, Bird Canada, and Neuron Mobility. The push comes as these zippy transportation options become increasingly common across Alberta's urban centres.
Currently, politicians and caucus staff can expense taxis, car rentals, and certain airfare for work-related travel. But e-scooters and e-bikes? That's uncharted territory in Alberta — and across Canada, for that matter.
The Insurance Problem Nobody Expected
Not so fast, warned Dave Ludwick, a legislative assembly office representative. During Tuesday's committee meeting, Ludwick presented a sobering reality: most micro-mobility companies require riders to assume all liability, potentially leaving politicians without insurance coverage if they're injured on the job.
"There is limited precedent or policy development in this area," Ludwick told the committee, noting that no other Canadian province has clearly approved this kind of expense arrangement.
The liability issue is serious. If an MLA takes a tumble off a Lime scooter while heading to a constituent meeting, who pays? The answer remains murky — and that's precisely why the committee is moving cautiously.
Why the Push to Modernize Transportation Rules?
United Conservative Party MLA Nolan Dyck, who tabled the motion, argues that e-scooters and e-bikes are fast, affordable, and environmentally sensible options for urban travel. They're perfect for short-distance trips where a taxi would be overkill.
"E-scooters and e-bikes are showing up everywhere across Alberta, but our rules haven't always kept pace with these newer transportation options," Dyck said in a statement.
The motion directs legislative assembly staff to contact micro-mobility companies and ask them to modify their standard liability agreements as part of any potential corporate deal. If the companies won't budge, staff have been tasked with developing alternative solutions.
"I do believe that we have an opportunity to also utilize another mode of transportation, which is important." — Nolan Dyck, UCP MLA
Cross-Party Support, But Questions Remain
The motion passed with support from both UCP and NDP members on the committee. NDP MLA Christina Gray previously indicated openness to the idea during a January meeting, though opposition members didn't speak to the motion during Tuesday's deliberation.
Dyck characterized the committee's approach as responsible: gathering all necessary information before committing to a decision. "We're taking the time to do this right," he suggested.
The next steps are unclear, but one thing is certain: Alberta's politicians won't be zooming through downtown Calgary on taxpayer-funded scooters anytime soon. The committee first needs to see whether micro-mobility companies are willing to negotiate on the insurance question that could make or break the entire proposal.
This story is based on reporting from Global Calgary.