Mississauga General Committee voted 6-2 on May 21 to adopt a staff report recommending a ban on e-bikes and e-scooters on all MiWay buses beginning on July 1, 2025.
Sam Rogers, Commissioner of Transportation and Works, wrote in the April 30 Report to council that: “Lithium-ion batteries pose a significant and unpredictable fire risk, particularly in the confined space of buses.” When they are not properly maintained, exposed to weather, improperly stored or subjected to physical damage, these batteries can spontaneously ignite, causing a fast spreading and intense fire and releasing toxic fumes.
According to the report, this is a serious safety risk and can cause significant property and infrastructure damage.
The report also points to the City of Toronto’s recent move to ban e-bikes and e-scooters on TTC buses, streetcars and subways from November 15 – April 15 every year following an e-bike battery fire on a subway car in December of 2023.
That fire began as the train was stopped at a station, allowing passengers to quickly escape. The TTC acknowledged the outcome could have been much different had the train been in a tunnel at the time.
Mayor Carolyn Parrish said she was in favour of the ban, telling council, “Just ban them on buses” and “If this is a safety issue, I’m not arguing.”
There have been no lithium-ion battery fires on MiWay buses to date, a point that Ward 9 Councillor Martin Reid made when he suggested staff look at only seasonally banning e-bikes and e-scooters.
Commissioner Rogers, however again reiterated his concern that “the risk is throughout the year and it’s rooted in our inability to regulate and oversee what an individual does with that device.”
Ward 2 Councillor Alvin Tedjo, who alongside Councillor Reid, voted against the ban, also had concerns. He argued that “we are going pretty heavy handed on something that is pretty new and emerging…when we’re trying to help people use their micro mobility..” Also, he said Mississauga’s ban would be inconsistent with the regional network as GO Transit allows e-bikes and e-scooters and Toronto’s ban is only seasonal.
Councillor Tedjo also brought up the point that medical mobility scooters would continue to be allowed on MiWay, despite also posing a fire risk. According to the report, medical mobility scooters do not pose the same risk as e-bikes or e-scooters as they are built with higher standards and are better maintained by their owners.
Despite the ban, e-bikes can continue to be stored on the front bike racks on MiWay buses.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Do you agree with this e-bike and e-scooter ban? Let us know at info@mpulse.ca and we will share your perspective in our next issue.
