Illegal e-bikes around Bishopsgate
At several times during the day, walking through Bishopsgate around Liverpool Street
Station becomes an exercise in dodging delivery cyclists and e-bikes rushing to deliver food
to local office workers. Most of the larger offices have a queue of food deliveries for staff
from around 7pm to 10pm daily, as well as some in the middle of the day.
Most of us enjoy the flexibility of rapid food deliveries to our homes and offices – and
services like Deliveroo and Uber Eats have flourished during and since the pandemic.
However, a growing problem is the use of illegally modified electric bikes (e-bikes). These
are bikes that have been turbo-charged to deliver more quickly and allow their riders to earn
greater money. Dangers of these modified e-bikes include:
Increased Motor Power: Some riders exceed the legal limit of 250 watts, with some cases reporting motor output of 500 watts or even higher.
Worn-Out Components: Illegally adapted e-bikes may have worn-out tyres and loose electric wires, increasing the risk of accidents.
Lack of Insurance and Number Plates: no insurance and number plates, posing a safety risk to themselves and others.
Conversion Kit Risks: While converting a standard bicycle to an e-bike using a conversion kit can be done safely, many kits available online allow for exceeding legal speed and power limitations.
Fire Hazards: "Ad-hoc conversion kits" for traditional bikes often lack a battery or charger, requiring separate purchases. Selecting an incompatible charger, especially one with a voltage too high for the battery, presents a significant fire risk.
A food delivery rider was among hundreds of people caught riding illegal e-bikes described
by police as “death traps”. Police seizures of illegally modified electric bikes (e-bikes) almost
doubled in the past year, amid concerns their speed and weight present a lethal threat to
pedestrians.
Electric motors fitted to e-bikes must, by law, cut out when a speed of 15.5mph is reached.
However, police are increasingly finding many have been modified to reach much higher
speeds. Offenders include commuters and food delivery workers, as well as criminals
snatching phones from passers-by.
The speed and weight of illegally modified e-bikes also “massively” heightens the danger for
pedestrians involved in collisions. There are fatalities sadly waiting to happen.
Police operating outside London Liverpool Street station earlier this month took just minutes
to catch a rider using an illegal e-bike. The e-bike had a motor with a maximum power output
of 500 watts – twice the legal limit of 250w – as well as worn-out tyres and a bundle of loose
electric wires stored in a soaking wet pouch. An officer at the scene described it as “a death
trap”, adding: “This could easily kill him or someone else.”
No action was taken against the rider, a food delivery worker, but his e-bike was confiscated
and will likely be destroyed. Across the UK, there is a dramatic increase in the number of e-
bikes being confiscated for breaking the rules.
Ad-hoc conversion kits are also often not supplied with a battery or charger, relying on the
buyer selecting a compatible pair. Fire becomes a very real risk if the charger voltage is too
high for the battery. A significant number of UK house fires are attributed to e-bikes being
incorrectly charged.
Please keep your eyes open for e-bikes driving excessively fast around Bishopsgate – and
remind your colleagues and friends that expecting their ultra-quick food delivery has some
unintended consequences.
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