Parents who own an electric cargo bike were surprised to read a Toronto Star article indicating that these bikes are no longer permitted to carry passengers. Indeed, every other bike retailer across Ontario was surprised too. The facts are still emerging, but it appears that the Doug Ford government quietly went back on Bill 282, first published in 2021. Bill 282, also known as the MOMS act, put forth new categorizations for electric bikes. And, one thing Bill 282 fixed was erasing restrictions for passengers under the age of 16 in electric bikes. But, unbeknownst to anyone, it turns out this section of Bill 282 was never proclaimed into law. It now appears that despite all appearances to the contrary, e-bike legislation has been in perpetual purgatory since 2021. If this feels like a hot mess, that’s because it is. In fact, the Government’s web page on e-bike regulations states no restrictions (at the time of writing) for passengers in e-bikes. What’s going on?
The Background
Jamie Stuckless is Ontario’s leading expert on e-bike legislation and is able to fill in the story here. As she noted to us by email, the e-bike legislation of Bill 282 was anticipated to become law for many years – as soon as the accompanying regulations were released by Ministry of Transportation (MTO). This was the assumption until May 2024, when the province quietly announced – via the Environmental Registry – that they were changing direction and the e-bike provisions in Bill 282 would not come into effect. In November 2024, the province introduced and passed Bill 197. Bill 197 repealed existing definitions of power-assisted bicycles and directed staff to create new e-bike categories through regulations. It’s important to note here that, just like with Bill 282, the e-bike provisions of Bill 197 are not in effect until the province develops and releases the new regulations. These regulations, when announced, could successfully solve the problems around unsafe e-bikes that catch fire and aren’t speed regulated. But, with the regulative horizon of Bill 282 gone and no new horizon suggested in Bill 197, e-bikes that carry passengers are suddenly in a very grey area.
If this is a hot mess, we’ve also been here before. In 2021, the owners of Pedaal and London Bicycle Cafe coordinated with others, including Jamie, to share our concerns with the MTO. On May 18, 2021, our concerns were read before Parliament. Our issue was that there was no primary distinction made between electric scooters, electric bikes that don’t seem to require pedalling, and electric bikes that do require pedalling. Instead, tertiary distinctions – like the way a bicycle looked – became primary. This made enforcement nearly impossible. Our proposal was to adopt the three classes of e-bikes outlined by the People for Bikes (see above). This class system allows legislators to identify scooters from e-bikes and e-bikes that require pedalling from those that don’t. With this identification in place, different regulations could be put in place for each.
According to Jamie, the goal of Bill 197 is for Ontario to adopt new e-bike categories. In a recent blog post she seems to indicate some positive movement forward. In the Toronto Star article, PC member Ric Bresee hinted that they want to “clear the path for [these] definitions.” Of course, the big question is: will this legislation allow children in cargo bikes? Jamie notes that Ontario is the only province/state in all of North America that seems to carry this rule – and that it makes little sense. But the real question is: how long will this take? The problem is that until these definitions arise, the old rules are in place. And yes, they can be enforced.
The Cargo Bike Pilot
At the same time Bill 282 was being passed, a new initiative was also proposed: the Cargo Bike Pilot. Along with London Bicycle Cafe, the owners of Pedaal were asked to consult with the MTO because of our expertise selling cargo bikes to families and to global companies like FedEx. We disliked the Cargo Bike Pilot from the start. We saw that what legislators were trying to do was open the streets up to heavy cargo bikes like the Fulpra that FedEx uses. But, without clearly defining this they almost put all e-bikes into legal purgatory. The first writing proposed that any e-bike with a basket should be classified as an e-cargo bike. That meant that any regular old e-bike with a basket would be provisionally allowed under the Pilot, but its future would be uncertain once the Pilot expired. Clearly, this was a problem.
Our proposal to the MTO was to classify bikes under the Cargo Bike Pilot using the principles of Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). The idea was that these bikes were designed for commercial use and should be defined like a commercial truck. Most cargo bikes can take a GVW of 200kg, plus the weight of the bike itself. Thus, we proposed that any bike over 300kg should be under the Cargo Bike Pilot, while any bike below this GVW should be considered a regular bike. The MTO listened, but they did not follow. In the end, we agreed that the weight of the bike itself would define what fell under the Pilot or not. Together with London Bicycle Cafe, we compiled a list of electric cargo spec sheets and found that most family bikes fell under 55kg and most commercial bikes were over 55kg. The only exception was Bullitt. For us, that meant that retailers could continue selling bikes to families and we could continue selling Bullitts to FedEx without any worry. The MTO went for it.
Weight, you can keep Riding!
The Cargo Bike Pilot was developed in tandem with Bill 282 and many of the same features. One of these features is that passengers are allowed in the vehicle. According to the Cargo Bike Pilot, the person driving a cargo e-bike under the pilot must:
- allow passengers only if the passenger is using a seat designed for passenger use (the seat must be manufactured as part of the vehicle)
- wear a helmet (passengers must also wear a helmet)
The thing to know about the Cargo Bike Pilot is it this was not revoked by Bill 197. It still stands so long as your municipality has approved it. And, it remains in effect until March 2026, a year from the time of writing. That means that if your bike is over 55kg, you’re still allowed to ride it with passengers. That’s important, because the Toronto Star article features a Black Iron Horse cargo bike that, when equipped with seats and canopy, starts at 56kg. This is important because there’s a grey area here. While the 55kg rule does not include cargo or passengers, it did not take into account added accessories that become part of the bike and add weight. For instance, a Bullitt is just 28kg. But, if you add an aluminum Convoy Box it’s now 39kg. Add a rear rack, canopy system, and extra battery and you can get it to 56kg pretty quick. Bikes like Urban Arrow are 51kg. That’s without any accessories. Add a rear rack and canopy kit and you’re over 55kg in a second.
The good thing is that the MTO and enforcement officers have no way to deliberate here. So long as your bike weighs over 55kg, not including passengers or cargo, your bike is under the Cargo Bike Pilot. But, that only buys an extra year of time.
Bikes Help Everyone
Now what? Well, it appears the MTO is aware that categorizing and legislating the diversity of micro-mobility needs to be a priority. And, we need to continue to argue that micro-mobility is a solution for everyone – drivers included. Given the timing of the Toronto Star article, the timing of Bill 197, and the timing of Bill 212 – which seeks to remove bike lanes – it’s hard not to see some politics at play. That said, as people who have worked closely with the MTO, we’ve always found our consultations to be frustrating (on the literacy side), but fundamentally apolitical. In fact, the Cargo Bike Pilot – for all of its problems – was an attempt to increase micro-mobility use for commercial freight. Literacy in these matters can take a long time, and as far as we can see, literacy here is is the main problem.
At the same time, this is a Federal issue. As Jamie Stuckless notes, the Federal Government decided to repeal their definition of e-bikes in 2021 to say they no longer had any role in this definition. This has not helped things. And, our industry needs to stand up too. For a long time now, the bikes causing havoc in bike lanes are not pedal-assist bikes sold from bike stores, but throttle-assist bikes sold from the internet. The difference in quality between these two types of bikes is one concern (ours don’t catch fire), but the real issue is safety. In the EU, a bike that can be operated without pedalling is by definition a motor vehicle. So, as the MTO struggles to define the wide plurality of bikes already in operation, we hope they’ll listen to experts like Jamie Stuckless. And, if you want to keep advised, make sure to join her newsletter! Above all, we hope the MTO will move quickly. It’s been an unlegislated rollercoaster so far.
Do You Need Electric?
At Pedaal, we believe electric cargo bikes are game-changers for urban families who live within the “last mile.” An electric cargo bike does three things; it neutralizes the weight of the bike itself, it flattens hills, and it shrinks longer distances. Thus, if you buy a heavier cargo bike, live in a hilly city, and do longer commutes, an electric cargo bike makes sense. But, what if you live in a city like Toronto? Despite living in a big city, most of our customers live the majority of their lives within a small-town radius and need something that connect distances too close to drive and too far to walk. Thus, a bike that shrinks longer distances isn’t always necessary. And, many of these people transport themselves on an east-west axis that involves very few hills. So, a bike that can accelerate up big hills isn’t always necessary either.
The reason many people buy an electric cargo bike is because the bike itself is so infernally heavy. Brands like Urban Arrow and Riese and Muller all make cargo bikes that start at around 100lb. Brands like Trek, who have just entered the front-loading cargo bike game, make a bike that weighs 165lb. The Danes, who invented the two-wheeled cargo bike, marvel at the sheer lack of necessity here. (Especially considering the recent Babboe cargo bike recall). Bullitt, who hail from Copenhagen, build a non-electric cargo bike that weighs only 45lb. For many, this lighter weight eliminates need for a power-assist. Unlike the competition, Bullitt makes the safest and most adaptable cargo bike on the market. Best of all, a Bullitt truly fits all riding styles. This makes it a popular choice with our customers who are happy to sweat out longer distances or hills on the weekend, but need a daily workhorse that doesn’t cost a mint.
Buying a non-electric Bullitt begins with a frame-kit and then selecting a parts-kit. The parts-kit outfits the entire bike, but are divided by kits that either use external derailleur systems or low-maintenance internal gear systems. If you are planning on longer distances or bigger hills, then we suggest going with an external gearing system (Deore or XT). If your most of your trips are pretty flat, and if you ride year round, we recommend the internally geared Alfine 8 Gates system, since it offers such incredible low maintenance. We’re happy to help with this, so if you have any questions please drop by or book a cargo bike appointment!
