Highways News readers are invited to take part in a survey aimed at local authority officers in England, working in highways, active travel, transport strategy, public health, road safety and trading standards.

The survey, devised by Helen Corina, an MSc Transport Planning student at the University of Westminster, will contribute to research looking to understand and capture local authority approaches towards illegal e-bikes. It explores the extent to which illegal e-bikes are acknowledged as an issue within local authorities, whether action is being taken to manage illegal e-bikes, the barriers the barriers to this, and what solutions might look like from a local authority perspective.

Illegal e-bikes include modified cycles (whereby an ordinary pedal cycle is turned into an e-bike), e-bikes that can reach speeds well over 15.5mph without pedalling with a power output over 250 watts, and e-bikes with unregulated batteries. These cycles do not conform to the government regulations set out for e-bikes. These illegal e-bikes are often sourced via online retailers and can in some cases reach speeds up to 70mph.  They present a risk to the riders’ safety and the safety of people sharing the same space as them and are associated with increased fire risk. These issues also impact the perceptions and use of legal e-bikes. The pressures of gig-economy work significantly contribute to illegal e-bike usage, putting people in these roles, such as food delivery riders, at increased risk as well as deepening inequalities.

Our understanding of the issues illegal e-bikes pose is growing, however what might the role of local authorities be in addressing these issues? This is what this research seeks to understand further. 

The survey will take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete and is anonymous. Click HERE to participate.

(Picture: London Borough of Hounslow)