More e-bikes seized by police in Peterborough operation
More e-bikes have been seized by police in Peterborough as officers continue to clamp down on the illegal use of the machines.
Officers from Cambridgeshire Police said that one bike that had been seized was capable of speeds of up to 44mph – nearly three times the legal limit for an e-bike.
While the use of e-bikes is not illegal in itself, there are strict laws on how to use them.
A spokesperson for the force said: “During the operation, we seized numerous e-bikes that had been adapted to provide electrical assistance to speeds exceeding 15.5mph, which would class them as a motor vehicle and the rider is required to have a licence and insurance.
“We also found that several had been fitted with throttles, and the highest speed recorded was 44mph without any pedalling required!”
What does the law say?
You can ride an e-bike, without a license or insurance if you're 14 or over.
The e-bike:
must have pedals that you can use to propel it
must have an electric motor that can run continuously at a maximum power of no more than 250 watts
must have no electrical assistance once you reach 15.5 mph
If your e-bike fails to meet any of these requirements it needs to be taxed and insured as either a motorcycle or a moped.
What about e-scooters?
The law is different for e-bikes and e-scooters.
E-scooters and unregistered e-motorbikes are classed as motor vehicles under the Road Traffic Act 1988. This means the rules that apply to motor vehicles, also apply to e-scooters including the need to have a licence and insurance.
It's not currently possible to get insurance for privately owned e-scooters. This means it’s illegal to use them on the road or in public spaces, such as parks, street pavements, and shopping centres.
If you use a privately-owned e-scooter in public, you risk the vehicle being seized under S.165 Road Traffic Act 1988 for having no insurance.
If you cause serious harm to another person whilst riding an e-scooter/e-motorbike, the incident will be investigated in the same way it would if you were riding a motorcycle or driving a car.
You can rent e-scooters in some parts of the UK through e-scooter rental trials – although these are not currently running in Peterborough.