The Transport Control Department (TCD) has examined 195 bicycles over five Saturday sessions. 22 were classified as auxiliary cycles and a further 22 as motorcycles. Owners have cooperated by licensing and insuring their cycles. However, several of the bicycles examined did not meet the threshold specifications for either auxiliary or motorcycles. Legislation must be amended to address these cycles that do not meet this threshold, thereby ensuring that individuals operating them are not penalized as if they are operating an auxiliary or motorcycle contrary to law.
Minister of Tourism & Transport, Culture & Sport, the Hon. Owen Darrell, JP, MP, said: “E-bikes offer important transportation, health, and environmental benefits for the people of Bermuda, and we want to ensure those benefits can be enjoyed safely and responsibly. The testing programme has provided valuable information to help guide our approach to regulating these vehicles. Our focus remains on establishing a clear, fair, and practical framework that protects all road users while providing greater certainty for e-bike owners, prospective purchasers, and businesses.”
As part of their ongoing roads policing initiative, the Bermuda Police Service will use a consistent and proportionate framework to assess observable characteristics, including a bicycle’s apparent power, and its apparent capabilities while work continues on the required legislative changes.
TCD is continuing to examine e-bikes during its normal weekday working hours, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday, at its Hamilton facility. This service is available to owners who were unable to attend the special sessions and to prospective purchasers who wish to have a bicycle assessed before buying. The Ministry thanks TCD staff for their diligence throughout the programme and the Bermuda Police Service for its collaboration in supporting a fair and practical approach to road safety. Riders are encouraged to take advantage of the examination service and to wear helmets for their safety.
