[Cycling group concerned about cycles, with regard to pedestrian safety!!]
[Cyclist don’t like e-bikes in cycle lanes because they are too heavy and
too fast. Just like the difference between footway cyclists and pedestrians 🙄]
Government's 500W and throttle e-bike proposals are 'unnecessary, risky and
the wrong approach' say UK trade bodies
by Rebecca Morley Apr 23 2024
BA and ACT say safer infrastructure and purchase incentives are needed for 'real' e-bike growth
The government’s recent e-bike proposals to double the legal wattage of motors to 500W and allow ‘twist and go’ e-bikes with throttle control up to 15.5mph are ‘unnecessary’, ‘risky’, and the ‘wrong approach’, the Bicycle
Association (BA) and Association of Cycle Traders (ACT) have said.
The Department for Transport (DfT) announced the proposed changes in
February, with the rationale that they will make electrically assisted
pedal cycles (EAPCs), “a more attractive and viable travel option for more people”.
But the BA and ACT are ‘strongly recommending’ that the industry oppose both changes, saying that the current regulations, “work well overall, with huge potential for growth as seen in other countries”.
[Linked article] Electric bikes and UK law
They added: “There’s no evidence these changes would significantly boost demand - instead, for real e-bike growth we need safer cycling
infrastructure, and purchase incentives to address affordability.”
The trade bodies also said it would take reputable suppliers time to
deliver safe, tested products to a new specification. “So in the short-term this change will drive customers to order high fire risk 500W products
online, and/or to tamper with existing e-bikes, also with potential fire risk,” they said.
“Longer-term, it risks moped-style regulations on the whole e-bike
category, because with no pedalling required e-bikes would be seen as light mopeds, not as cycles. There are also as yet unquantified risks from more powerful, heavier e-bikes sharing cycle lanes, risking further regulatory backlash.”
[Linked article] You can legally ride the Swifty Go GT500 e-scooter on UK
roads (because technically, it's a moped)
They added that while the industry welcomes innovation and the potential of
new micromobility vehicle categories, “these proposals do not provide a sustainable framework for these new opportunities.
“We strongly urge that any new vehicle types, for example 500W, throttle e-bikes or e-scooters, be introduced under the comprehensive LZEV framework approach which was already proposed by the current government, to provide category-specific regulations appropriate to each new vehicle type, and
leave the well proven EAPC regulations broadly unchanged.”
[Linked article] "Zero" chance of e-scooter safety legislation this year - Government accused of 'ducking' responsibility
Last month, charity Cycling UK said the proposals present a “huge safety risk” to pedestrians and others who cycle. Director of external affairs, Sarah McMonagle, said the increased power, "would mean faster acceleration
and much heavier bikes, which we’re really concerned about.”
The BA also previously suggested that higher powered vehicles would
accelerate more quickly and would require bigger batteries, making them
heavier and more dangerous in crashes.
It said that while the idea of more power and throttles may seem
superficially attractive, “we believe it cannot be introduced without
putting at risk the electric cycle’s category status as ‘not a motor vehicle'."
McMonagle also said that e-bikes with no pedal requirement would reduce the health benefits of e-cycling - "in essence, they would blur the line
between e-bikes and electric motorbikes”.
[Linked article] Study finds e-bikes may lead to people giving up cars and
says they should be at core of planning
ACT director Jonathan Harrison said e-bike sales are “critical” to the success of cycle retailers across the UK, “and we are really concerned that these proposals will put that at risk.
“Blurring the lines between e-bikes and mopeds risks a regulatory backlash which could easily make the entire e-bike category less attractive, and
that could be disastrous for the cycle trade. We’re asking retailers, and their customers, to speak up and respond to this consultation.”
Steve Garidis, BA executive director, said: “These proposed changes may
seem superficially appealing to some users, but everyone in the industry
should realise that they fundamentally change the nature of the e-bike. And that puts at risk its status of being treated like a bicycle in law, rather than as a moped.
“We strongly urge everyone in the industry to respond to this consultation
- and to urge e-bike end users and customers who love the freedom of using their e-bike just like a bicycle, to do so too.”
The consultation began on February 29 and will run until 11:59pm on April
25.
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https://ebiketips.road.cc/content/news/governments-500w-and-throttle-e-bike-proposals-are-unnecessary-risky-and-the-wrong>
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