Does something need to be done about illegal/unlicenced/uninsured electric vehicles on our roads (and pavements)

[silvagti]

Just wandering what everyone's thoughts are as I'm personally feeling like there's a pandemic of idiots riding electric unlicenced and not road legal electric vehicles (ebikes, escooters, etc) on our roads and pavements. We've all seen the recent headlines about the negative consequences when police try to chase down people on them who are flagrantly breaking the law. Most of the time as far as I can see the police aren't interesting in doing anything about it though.

Just wondering what folk think the solution is as it's feeling like an ever growing problem as electric vehicles like ebikes/escooters become cheaper and more readily available. Is some kind of licencing going to be required as they become more ubiquitus or do the police need to start taking firmer action?

My main thought is the the introduction of the law allowing 15mph, pedal assisted bicycles has opened up a legal grey area where you can seemingly ride any kind of electric moped/motorbike on the road now without insurance/licencing/etc so long as it has pedals fitted as a token gesture. To me that needs to be rolled back as it's resulting in what are clearly motorbikes/mopeds being classified as bicycles. Not to mention most of these seem to be fitted with throttles (which aren't legal) and motors that are clearly capable of exceeding 30mph never mind 15mph!

 

[silvagti]

Enforce current laws, but that would take upping the police numbers.

I think the main issue preventing the enforecement of current laws is that looking at most of these electric bicycles there's no way to visiblty spot at distance whether an ebike is a road legal pedal assisted model or an illegal, throtle driven 30 mph+ electric motorbike. Short of the police seeing someone driving along at high speed uphill they'll never be in a position to aprehend anyone riding an illegal ebike. Plus I'm sure recent media headlines will have put police off the idea of giving chase to anyone who doesn't stop for them!

Having said that given the number of folk riding escooters on pavements/roads the police don't seem interested in stopping even those who are visibly breaking the law given those escooters aren't road (or pavement!) legal.

 

[silvagti]

Well yeah, a CBT is for the road. That's what I said.

I'm personally starting to feel we need to roll back the laws on 15mph pedal assisted electic bicycles (which have created this issue IMO) and require that any kind of motorised electric vehicle should be licenced in some form? Otherwise I can't see any way to tackle the issue of getting the illegal ebikes off our roads whilst they blend in alongside the legal ones?

 

[silvagti]

Why?

Why does it matter if it's powered by someones legs or by an electric motor if the speed is limited to below what you could do anyway?

Because if someone fits an electric motor to an unlicensed vehile you're no way to regulate how powerful it is or enfore any kind of safety standards/etc. Plus it leaves the police with no way to spot vehicles which aren't road legal.

 

[silvagti]

So should we get rid of the CBT entirely?

There's no way to tell if a moped has a 50cc motor or a 300cc motor, which would require a full bike license.

No, if anything we should extend CBT to electric bikes/vehicles as you suggested.

Currently a 50cc moped requires plates, road tax, insurance and provisional licence to ride on the road IIRC. Maybe electric bikes should be treated the same way regardless of their power output?

 

[silvagti]

It just seems to me like you want to make access to PEVs more dificult because you personally don't like them.

This issue I have is that many of these ebikes on our roads clearly aren't road legal (not to mention escooters which are all illegal) and there seems to be a huge grey area which is being exploited by those driving around without any consideration for the safety of themselves or others.

 

[silvagti]

Ah great, another thinly veiled attack on cyclists!

I’m not suggesting we target cyclists or bicycles. I’m suggesting there should be licensing and enforcement of electric “motorised” vehicles in the same way there currently is with petrol “motorised” vehicles (motorbikes/mopeds/etc).

Treating electric motorised vehicles as though they were bicycles is the problem IMO.

 

[silvagti]

yea, they are the actual "Ebikes" for some reason the media has brainwashed everyone into thinking those Electric Motor Bikes are infact Ebikes.


won't someone think of poor little jonny the local radgie, poor thing just minding his own business on his ebike and the police gave chase for no reason at all.

Exactly this

It’s frankly a bit odd how the media in general seem determined to downplay these incidents as innocent kids at play….

"Local thug dressed like a ninja menacing estate on illegal 50mph+ electrified motor bike chased by police"

That’s exactly the way I see it!