HALIFAX: The provincial government has introduced the new Road Trails Act with the intent of creating a permanent set of rules for off-highway vehicle (OHV) use.
On March 24, the province tabled the new legislation which they said allows for the use of OHVs on roads at approved locations, and gives riders improved trail connections and better access to services like gas stations and restaurants.
Public Works Minister Kim Masland said the legislation makes sure Nova Scotians can continue to use current OHV sites, while providing a way to safely add more connections.
“It’s all about connectivity. It is about how we can access the trails the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables have in our province to get people to access the services they need, which is so important in rural Nova Scotia,” she noted. “One of the things that we were hearing from businesses that were benefiting and supporting this pilot is that the economic development and the business that they were receiving from riders of OHVs who were stopping in to have lunch, or stopping at the local gas station that was part of the pilot project for fuel. These sites were selected based on the good sight lines… but also about connectivity.”
In October 2018, the former Liberal government launched a pilot project in seven communities across the province, including Sherbrooke in Guysborough County and Gabarus in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.
According to the province, the pilot allows four-wheeled OHVs to access road shoulders and roads where necessary, to travel from one trail to another, or to access facilities in selected pilot areas.
Only registered, licensed and insured, the province said OHVs can operate on the right of way, or the road, in the pilot areas. The operator must have a valid driver’s licence, riders must wear a helmet and all passengers on an OHV in a pilot area must be nine or older, they noted.
The Department of Public Works conducted an evaluation of the pilot to determine if OHVs are integrating successfully onto roadways and to assess the viability of a permanent solution for OHVs. The evaluation used data from multiple sources, including interviews and surveys with stakeholders from the pilot communities.
Masland said the pilot project showed that Nova Scotians, of many ages, driving more sophisticated vehicles, want to socialize and enjoy the province’s natural beauty.
“It was an extremely successful, supported pilot project,” she told The Reporter. “That site selection, going forward, will not change. We looked at many things that we would look at for sites but it would be the highway speeds must be below 80 kilometres an hour, roads must have good sight lines, low traffic volumes, that type of thing. As we look at new selection of sites, that same information, that same criteria will be used in selecting new sites.”
The act allows for the enforcement of the rules and gives municipalities the ability to designate local streets for the use of off-highway vehicles through bylaws, according to the province.
“This is something that many municipalities have been asking for quite some time now, especially in the rural areas,” the minister noted. “They want to be able to bring people into their communities, into their towns. This will empower them.”
The province said the rules for using portions of provincial roads will remain the same.
“Our members across Nova Scotia have been patiently waiting for this day,” Barry Barnet, Executive Director, All-Terrain Vehicle Association of Nova Scotia said. “This legislation will help us make vital connections, create safer travel and grow the local economy.”
The off-highway vehicle pilot project is scheduled to conclude on Oct. 2, the province said, adding that Nova Scotia’s Off-highway Vehicles Act has not been amended “significantly” since 2006.
“Everything, at the end of the day, comes down to safety,” Masland noted. “Everyone is responsible for the safe operation of these OHVs; whether it’s enforcement, whether it’s government, my department setting done the rules that are required. This gives consistency right across the board that folks know what is expected of them and it also creates predictability for road users as well.”
The bill will now proceed to second reading this week, then after it is reviewed by the Law Amendments, it will go through third reading.
“We are working on the regulations now. We’ll take some time to work through those regulations,” noted Masland.
In the meantime, Masland added that the province will undertake a public awareness campaign, this after five years of consultations with the tourism industry, the business community, and OHV users.
“We will need to do some public awareness work with this legislation to make sure that people do know the rules. There’ll be some signage that will be needed and we’re going to work through that,” she added. “Public awareness is always good for those that use our roads, for motorists and for those who are using OHVs on our roads as well.”