Children under 14 will have to find a new way to school if they have been using electric bikes or electric scooters.
New laws came into effect on Monday that ban children under 14 from using them.
Some parents in Cole Harbour got an email reminder earlier this week about the change from the Principal of Sir Robert Robert Borden Junior High School, and the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) is also encouraging families to review the new rules.
“HRCE expects students to follow all applicable laws and school expectations related to the safe use of e-bikes and e-scooters. Schools may also communicate expectations to students and families regarding these devices on school property,” wrote a spokesperson for the regional centre for education.
The updated regulations were first announced in August as part of the new Traffic Safety Act (TSA).
Public Works Minister Fred Tilley had said the reason for the change is because of how fast they can go.
“They can go up to 30, 32km an hour and more,” said Tilley to reporters. “You start to get a different level of conveyance than a traditional bicycle or cycle.”
Passed in October of 2025, the provincial government says TSA modernizes rules of the road and improve safety across the province, according to the Nova Scotia government. The act replaces the Motor Vehicle Act (MVA), which was in place since the early 1900s.
The department tells Acadia News that under the proposed regulations, children under 14 caught riding an e-scooter or e-bike could face a $100 fine. Parents, guardians, and scooter/bike owners who knowingly allow a child under 14 to operate an e-scooter could also be fined $100.
However, Halifax Regional Police say they are focused on an educational approach first.
“We want to encourage everyone, especially youth to be outside and active but we also want to ensure they are safe and understand the law,” wrote spokesperson Const. Martin Cromwell in an emailed statement.
He says they could still issue tickets, and those e-bikes or e-scooters could be seized.
And if anyone under 14 gets a ticket, that means police notify their parents, as well.
–with files from Caitlin Snow
