We previously said that e-bikes and scooters can circulate on exclusive lanes for cyclists. Now, a new proposal of Morena will ban the e-bikes on bike ways.
Clara Brugada, head of state of CDMX, will send to capital congress an initiative to restrict circulation of e-bikes & scooters. In essence, will be pursued to consider these vehicles as motorized transports. If achieved, they wouldn’t have the right to circulate on any cycle path of CDMX.
The legislator, Brenda Ruiz, vice-coordinator of Morena announced it. And previewed that proposal includes a sanction to these vehicles with established fines in traffic regulations, as imposed to riders.
Get out of bikeways!
The main purpose of ban the e-bikes on bike ways is to take care of pedestrian, and of course, cyclists. This, considering that e-bikes and scooters can get to 48 km/h speeds, being as fast as a motorcycle.
Considering that cycle paths are lanes where cars don’t circulate; this allow that the mentioned electric vehicles reach a dangerous speed on bike lane.
“Bikeways are for cyclists, not for motorized vehicles. The traffic regulations will be applied for e-bikes and scooters, as apply for all the other motorized vehicles. Enough of this abuse and putting both, pedestrians and cyclists at risk”, Ruiz said.
Why they should not circulate on bikeways?
An e-bike and scooter can reach speed from 45 to 48 km/h. With that speed, a crash against a cyclist, pedestrian, with the sidewalk or any other structure, will result in severe damages for victim and person responsible.
Officialy, the speed for any electric vehicle considered as that, is maximum 25km/h. Once this limit is exceeded, must be catalogued as motorized vehicles, and circulate on street, but not in bike lanes.
Even though some manufacturers use a virtual lock for scooters to don’t exceed 25 km/h, these can be altered and modified to exceed the limit. The same happens with e-bikes, which aim is assist pedaling, even though now are more used as economic motorcycles, than bikes.
Also, some e-bikes transport up to 3 people (1 driver at the front, and 2 passengers on the sides, causing the complete invasion of cycle path, hindering the circulation of cyclists behind.
These can’t be considered non-motorized vehicles. It is necessary to apply order and avoid they keep causing accidents. The irresponsibility of e-bike and scooter users, makes them believe that are toys, but they aren’t, are dangerous and put a life at risk.
Key aspects of the initiative
These are the three key aspects to regularize electric bikes and scooters:
- Creation of register of electric propulsion vehicle dealers in charge of the Secretary of Economic Development (in Spanish, Secretaría de Desarrollo Económico) to know the origin, features and qualities of these products.
- Classifying to these as electric propulsion vehicles, due currently, by considering them as non-motorized vehicles, are not applied sanctions.
- Prohibit their circulation in bikeways, due is considered that these vehicles represent a risk for cyclists and pedestrians.
