Electric Bicycles
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of powers available to the police to stop suspected illegally modified e-bikes.
Answered by Sarah Jones
The police should treat any suspected illegally modified e-bike as a motor vehicle. Anyone driving a motor vehicle must have a valid driving licence and motor insurance. As an individual cannot get a licence for an e-bike, it is illegal to drive a modified e-bike.
Police have clear powers to stop and seize any motor vehicles being ridden anti-socially.
We have gone further and strengthened police enforcement powers through the Crime and Policing Act, by removing the requirement for police to issue a warning before seizing illegally modified e-bikes and other vehicles used antisocially. We have also consulted on measures to allow police to dispose of illegally modified e-bikes and other seized vehicles, more quickly, to deter and prevent re-offending.
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