The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling & Walking (APPGCW) has published a new report warning of a growing public safety and fire risk caused by the widespread use of unsafe, illegally modified e-bikes, referred to as ‘fake e-bikes’, purchased through online marketplaces and frequently used in the gig economy.
The report titled: ‘Unregulated and Unsafe: The Threat of Illegal E-Bikes’, calls for urgent action from the Government to protect people from safety risks.
Among the key issues identified in the report are:
- A surge in battery fires caused by unregulated e-bike conversion kits, low-cost batteries, and poor-quality imports.
- Exploitation of gig economy riders, who are incentivised to use faster, often illegal bikes to meet delivery targets.
- Online marketplaces selling unsafe products with little or no oversight, enforcement, or legal liability.
- Confusion for landlords, insurers, and transport operators, leading to blanket bans that affect users of legitimate e-bikes, including disabled people
The full report is available here:
https://appgcw.org/resources/inquiries/unregulated-and-unsafe-the-threat-of-illegal-e-bikes/
