Police seize five more unlawful e-bikes
Enforcement work continues to curb dangerous e-bike usage, with more removed from the streets tonight.
Five e-bikes which had been modified to an extent that they have become unlawful were confiscated today by Nottinghamshire Police.
Similar bikes are a common sight around the centre of Nottingham, often used by delivery riders. E-bikes in themselves are not an issue, but can be if they do not meet certain criteria. The bike must not be able to propel itself (unless specially exempted) - the bike must be pedal assisted. The power supplied cannot exceed 250 watts. The assistance must cut out after the bike reaches 15.5 miles per hour.
"Some of these bikes are able to get to 50 miles per hour," an officer told the Morning Briefing, whilst carrying the bikes onto a flatbed truck. Bikes travelling at such speeds are considered motor vehicles, and then are required to have all the same licensing as a car: registration, insurance, and MOT.
"Once a month we will do a dedicated check to test bikes around town," the officer said. "You'll notice the number of problematic bikes drops for a few days afterwards. We also do spot checks between jobs and at quieter times or when patrolling."
Last month, 32 bikes were confiscated.
E-scooters, excepting those under the council approved trial scheme, are generally unlawful outside of private roads. When asked if the police are focusing their efforts on curbing their use, the officer said, "we tend to prefer education rather than confiscation".
