Talk about putting the (golf) cart before the horse.
The provincial government has put a halt to its plan to allow golf carts on the streets of Qualicum Beach.
Thank goodness.
We’re not prepared to dismiss the idea entirely, but there were just too many questions and concerns to allow this to proceed, even as a pilot project.
The announcement in August by Premier Christy Clark and Transportation Minister Todd Stone really came out of nowhere. We weren’t aware of any group in this area pushing hard for this.
OK, there was a mention of it during a February town council meeting, but that’s it.
The premier came to town in August when this pilot project was announced and even sat in a golf cart for a photo op with MLA Michelle Stilwell and Mayor Teunis Westbroek at her side.
“Golf carts will give our (residents) more ways to get around and we are thrilled to be part of this pilot project as I believe it is appropriate in our community,” said the mayor.
We couldn’t help but think of the safety concerns. Remember, this is a town where there can be confusion about brake pedals and gas pedals, sometimes resulting in a vehicle crashing into a storefront.
Since the August announcement, we have received a number of calls, e-mails and letters asking about speed limits possibly changing on Qualicum Beach roadways to allow for golf carts. When it made the announcement in August, the province said the carts will need to meet detailed conditions like only driving on municipal roads with a maximum speed of 30 km/h during daylight hours. The golf cart must be registered and insured and be equipped with seat belts, a horn, lights, signals and a rear-view mirror. Drivers will need to have a valid driver’s licence.
We couldn’t wrap our brains around the whole idea. Or at least we had way too many questions and concerns. And it was supposed to happen starting in September, but that’s been pushed to the spring.
It’s possible this can work. As one long-time Qualicum Beach resident in favour of the program explained to us recently: “Share the road. Treat them just like bikes.”
We look forward to seeing what the province rolls out of the garage in the spring.
— Editorial by John Harding
