OPINION
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around which e-bikes are safe and which are effectively counterfeits. Insurers and Transport for London very clearly told us they need a clear way to distinguish which products are safe, quickly and easily. If we hope to stave off, and reverse the damage done, this is an essential part of the solution, and one the industry can hopefully work on with the government. We recommended closing the road-legal loophole that permits high-powered electric motorbikes, illegal on UK roads, to be bought with no questions asked, sometimes with misleading marketing showing the vehicle on the roads. Delivery companies should be required to run real-time compliance checks on riders, things like photo evidence of their bike and speed monitoring for suspiciously fast journeys supposedly by pedal cycle. To help get dangerous fake e-bikes off the streets, we recommended giving police new powers to seize them, and a national scrappage scheme – the latter funded by delivery companies. There are positive signs that the tide is shifting on this
issue, but it is very far from a done deal. Some issues raised in the report have been widely picked up by the national press. This helps inform the public about the difference between legitimate and fake products, and the wider factors driving the problem. Political support is growing too, as a result of the report, and the support and drive of APPWCG
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MPs Fabian Hamilton, Ruth Cadbury and Olly Glover. As I write this, legislation was just debated in Parliament, and a proposed amendment – although not passed – in the Lords around closing the employment loophole enabling chronic low wages and exploitation. The issue is now very much on the political agenda. Delivery companies have pledged to act on shared accounts after investigations by tabloid newspapers revealed people were easily able to register on and deliver for the apps, despite having no right to work in the UK. Pressure is growing on online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, which were found to be selling dangerous products on their sites. MPs have written to both companies since the report’s launch, asking them to take action.
The industry can also help lead the way; indeed, the
Bicycle Association produced its own report on the issue, with detailed recommendations. Businesses can contact their MPs asking them to support reforms. Pressure to act across the piece will help drive change, and the APPWCG continues to build support in Parliament. Media interest continues, and it seems like journalists are beginning to understand the difference between legitimate and fake e-bikes, which can only be positive. Ultimately, big tech firms are driving this problem and harming society and the cycle industry. This simply cannot continue.
August 2025 | 47
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