Is it time to regulate e-bikes?

The concession given to electric vehicles below 250W power where they are not required to be registered is leading to their proliferation Experts have pointed out that concessions galore and no mandatory registrations could lead to uncontrolled congestion and low credibility of ebikesCertain electric bikes get exemptions due to less power and a maximum speed of less than 25 kmph Since it is a vehicle that runs on battery and does not pollute the environment it does not require the driver to register it or carry a licence while ridingldquoIn Indian metros considering the congestion on roads it is essential to control the number of electric bikes They may not be exceeding the speed limit but they are sharing the road with other vehicles Unless they are giving separate lanes it is essential to regulate them to avoid accidents with other vehiclesrdquo said Ajit Shenoy senior transport expert with Mumbai Mobility Forum and Mumbai Vikas SamitiSenior urban transport planner Vivek Pai said ebikes will not be a challenge to the road space but safety should remain paramount and that authorities can do a road safety drive targeting ebikes and regulate them at dealers and sellersrsquo level Expert Raxit Seth said manufacturers should stick to the given speed limitsUse evehicle for deliveriesldquoThey should at least be registered Authorities should also make food and grocery delivery outlets use ebicyclesrdquo senior architect and commentator Jagdeep Desai saidldquoWe also need to factor in antisocial elements who can use such vehicles for chain snatching or such kind of crimes It will be difficult to track them without registrationrdquo social activist Chetan Bordawekar saidldquoMany manufacturers are flouting the power and speed rules and enjoying the noregistration benefits This needs to be checked at the manufacturing level If this is put in place we wonrsquot see a mainstream proliferation of ebikesrdquo said Paresh Rawal public policy transport expertldquoMost of the world follows the norm of pedal electric cycles rated to ride up to the speed of 25 kmph usually 250500W motors and a higherpowered type rated to ride at a speed over 25 kmph 7501000W or higher Indian customs have the same standards for imports Higher powered ebikes are tested for a licence plate This covers imported vehicles What it leaves out is imported parts being installed in lowerrated bicycles As there are standards of size it is impossible to tell if someone has a highpowered bicycle with a lower rating sticker attached to it which makes the problem very tricky Highpowered motors should be imported only by licenced agencies who can instal them The problem will exacerbate as we start manufacturing these in India and they get into all kinds of bicyclesrdquo said transport expert Pranav Naik250wPower up to which ebikes are exempt from registrationKey questionsJitendra Gupta of the Mumbai Transport Forum said ebikes have been on the roads for a few months He posed the following questions Have there been accidents involving ebikes How many how were they caused Do they follow traffic signalsrules Are there cases with traffic cops Is the rider covered under insuranceWhat govt saysMaharashtrarsquos Transport Commissioner Avinash Dhakne said ebike operations were well within the framework of law ldquoThe law permitted them as it is important to encourage and promote a green mode of transport to cut down fuel emissionsrdquo he said