Electric Bicycles: Departmental Coordination
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for (a) the Home Department and (b) Business and Trade to ensure enforcement, regulation and market controls operate cohesively to tackle the use of illegal high powered electric bikes.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood
Only e-bikes that comply with the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983 can be legally used on the roads in the same way as ordinary pedal cycles. These regulations limit the maximum assisted speed of the e-bike to 15.5mph and the maximum power of its electric motor to 250 watts.
E-bikes that do not comply with these requirements are motor vehicles and must be registered, taxed and insured. The rider must also wear a safety helmet and hold a driving licence.
The police have the power to seize high-powered e-bikes being used on the road as motor vehicles under Section 165A of the Road Traffic Act 1988, and where they have reasonable grounds to believe the vehicle is being ridden without insurance.
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