CHASE, B.C. — The community of Chase is proving that golf carts aren’t just for the course.
After years of discussion and planning, the community is the first in the country to allow golf carts to operate on local roads.
The pilot project officially tee’d off earlier this week and runs until November.
Dennis Stevens is one of the men who pushed to add golf carts to local streets.
With half of Chase’s population over the age of 55, many people in the community rely on scooters.
Stevens says golf carts are a safer alternative for seniors.
“It’s much more stable,” said Stevens. “My father used to have a little scooter. You could tip them over. These don’t tip over, they have everything you need. There’s turn signals, break lights, horns, whatever you need on a car we have on the golf carts.”
After years of meetings and discussions with Transportation Minister Todd Stone, Steven’s golf cart dream finally came true.
On Friday members of the community gathered to celebrate the official kickoff to the golfcart pilot project.
“We recognize this is about providing the public with another option for transportation,” said Stone. “Why pile into your big pickup truck or big car to drive from your home to go and pick up some prescriptions. It’s also terrific for the environment. We think that less emissions is something everybody can get behind.”
“I’m quite excited about the golf cart project,” said Rick Berrigan, Mayor of Chase. “When it first came to us we thought it would be a great way to market Chase and let people know about the innovation of what we’re doing.”
So far 11 golf carts, most of them electric, are registered in the pilot project.
Like your standard vehicle, drivers must carry a drivers license and insurance.
They’re also required to stick to certain roads and passengers must be over the age of nine.
Ron Anderson, one of the men who also helped spearhead the project, says not only will the new mode of transportation increase senior safety, it will open up freedom.
“I think what’ll happen in the future is the older people get and they start to lose their ability to drive at night and on highways, this gives them an opportunity to still get around the community.”
Whether you’re heading out for a jug of milk, the mail, or anything in between, the new form of summer cruising is sure to turn more than a few heads.
