Toronto bylaw officers will swap out cars for bikes as part of new pilot program

The city is launching a new pilot program that will see a group of bylaw enforcement officers swapping out their cars for bikes. (City of Toronto/ X)

The city says a handful of bylaw enforcement officers will be swapping out their gas-guzzling vehicles for shiny new bikes as part of the municipality’s plan to reduce its carbon footprint.

The City of Toronto is launching a Bike Pilot Program that will see 21 bylaw enforcement officers using bikes instead of motor-vehicles in the course of their daily duties.

The pilot, the city said, includes 18 “revitalized City of Toronto fleet bicycles,” which will be used whenever feasible in parks and at large events to “reduce the use of vehicles and support the city’s TransformTO Net Zero Strategy.”

“Replacing vehicles with bikes is key to meeting the target of transitioning 20 per cent of City-owned fleet to zero-emission vehicles by 2025, and 50 per cent by 2030,” said David Jollimore, the general manager of Fleet Services for the City of Toronto.

“Bicycles and pedal-assist e-bikes are also more cost effective to purchase, maintain, and operate than traditional vehicles, and can be a more efficient way of delivering services – especially in the downtown core.”

The bikes will also allow officers in the new unit to “stop and go more easily” and eliminate the need for parking, the city said in a news release.

“Utilizing Toronto’s robust cycling infrastructure of more than 700 kilometres, cycling offers a more efficient and climate-friendly method of travel for shorter trips and during peak hours,” the release read.