At their latest meeting, Councillors on Oxfordshire County Council overwhelming backed a motion calling for stronger Police action against illegal e-bikes and e-scooters.
Brought by the Labour & Co-operative Group, the successful motion also backed national calls by the Motorcycle Industry Association and the Bicycle Association for tougher rules to prevent the manufacture, import, sale and advertising of kits to unlawfully modify e-bikes. The Leader of the County Council has been asked to write to Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, calling for further action.
The passage of the motion came following calls by local Oxfordshire MP, Anneliese Dodds in the Commons for a joined-up response across Whitehall, urging the Department for Transport to bring together other government departments with responsibility for the issue.
E-bikes are currently required to only provide electric pedal assist up to a maximum of 15.5 mph. Bikes not meeting these standards are officially classified as motorbikes and are required to be registered and insured. Private e-scooters similarly cannot be used on the public highway, only on private land.
The adopted text also calls for the County Council to inform the public better on the legal position of private e-scooter use on the highway and to work with operator Voi to ensure safe use and parking of hired e-scooters.
Cllr Brad Baines, who brought the motion said: “I am really pleased that local Councillors have backed Labour’s call for tougher action on these illegal vehicles. I regularly talk to residents across my division who are increasingly worried to cross the road or cycle around for fear of being hit. Speeding e-bikes and e-scooters are a major road safety risk.”
Shadow Cabinet Member for Transport, Cllr James Fry added: “Illegally modified e-bikes should be seized and crushed. We need better enforcement action by Thames Valley Police, building on the improvements we have already seen. The Government also needs to go further to tackle the sale of illegal modification kits, so we can stop this menace at source.”