Street-legal golf cart rentals roll out on Vancouver roads

If you noticed a play cart driving down nan roadworthy successful Vancouver, you weren’t imagining things. A caller rental institution is offering group an replacement measurement to spot nan city, and yes, they are thoroughfare legal.

HeyYa! Rentals’ electric-powered carts are nan first of their benignant successful Canada.

The mini fleet of bluish play carts tin accommodate betwixt 4 and 8 passengers and tin beryllium rented by nan hr — for a minimum of 2 hours — aliases for nan full day.

Company CEO Tasha Maynard says she was inspired to bring nan thought to Vancouver aft competing successful nan Ironman title successful Florida past year.

“I would conscionable spot these groups of group connected play carts, and their euphony was up and they were having specified a awesome time,” she said.

“And each clip I saw them, I would get truthful overmuch power from them, and I’d guidelines a small taller and tally a small faster. And so, I vanished nan marathon and I said to my husband, you know, Vancouver needs this.”

When nan family returned home, they bought their first play cart and tested it retired connected nan roads successful different upwind conditions. The institution was past launched astatine nan opening of July.

In summation to information features for illustration seatbelts, headlights and move signals, nan vehicles are constricted to 40 km/h and person a scope of astir 80 km.

Drivers tin return nan vehicles connected immoderate roadworthy wrong Vancouver and Burnaby pinch a velocity limit of 50 km/h aliases nether and crossed nan Burrard, Granville and Cambie bridges. They cannot beryllium utilized connected beaches, motorcycle lanes, nan seawall aliases nan Stanley Park Causeway beyond nan entrances to nan park.

Renters must salary each regular parking fees successful parking lots.

While nan thought of zipping astir successful a play cart whitethorn beryllium charismatic to tourists, astatine slightest 1 section statement is concerned astir what they could mean for nationalist safety.

“First of all, I deliberation they’re a neat idea. Being aged myself, I’m having mobility issues correct now,” said Bonnie MacKenzie pinch Stanley Park for All, a organization group astir known for opposing nan separated motorcycle lane successful nan park.

“However, my interest is for illustration anything, our roads are congested.”

MacKenzie is concerned astir nan level of training group will person earlier being capable to thrust nan carts and whether group cognize and will travel nan rules of nan road. She is besides concerned astir really Vancouver drivers will grip sharing nan roadworthy pinch nan slower carts.

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“A batch of nan car drivers that we person correct now successful Vancouver besides get disappointment pinch nan deficiency of activity and they’re going to beryllium darting astir these play carts,” she said.

“I deliberation it could very overmuch beryllium a existent information rumor and a information hazard for nan group who are renting them.”

Maynard says, truthful far, Vancouver drivers person been diligent and receptive to sharing nan roadworthy pinch nan carts.

“They support up pinch nan travel of postulation successful Vancouver truthful well,” she said.

“We often get waves and group will rotation down their model and say, ‘Oh, that’s truthful great. Where tin we rent one?’”

When renters book, they are fixed a information video and an in-person tally done of each nan information features and rules of nan road.

Drivers must beryllium astatine slightest 19 years aged and clasp a valid driver’s licence, including a Novice — aliases “N” —  licence. They must besides support to nan correct broadside of nan roadworthy to guarantee faster-moving postulation tin pass.

“It is simply a conveyance truthful you can’t beryllium connected your phone, you can’t beryllium drinking and driving,” Maynard said.

“At nan extremity of nan day, we want to make judge that group spell retired and person a awesome time. See our beautiful metropolis and travel backmost safely.”