Poll Question: Do you think e-bikes should be licensed?

[GM Canada]

Hello everyone, we need your help in Canada. This poll is being run by a local newspaper and they are trying to have Ebikes licenced and insured. They have already banned them on the multi-use trails and bike lanes on the roads in some municipalities. The city I live in has welcomed them. They are allowed in the bike lanes on the roads. Also allowed on the multi-use trails if under 40kg. Other cites are actively legislating against them. Now an all out ban is being attempted by local newspapers as the have to steer around us while they are drinking their coffee on the way to work.

PLEASE EVERYONE follow this link and vote against licensing Ebikes. Change your browser and vote again. We really need your help here in Canada. Lets save Ebikes worldwide!

Here is the link and your effort to help us will only take seconds and could right the terrible wrong being done against us!

If you are a member of any other forum please post this message over there as well, we are currently losing this poll 347 to 170 against us!

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2013/02/28/star-editorial-e-bikes-dont-belong-on-trails-and-pathways/

Gary

[Lu.Sochr]

Voted against!

Unfortunately changing browser seems does not work, this voting is probably IP based:-(

[Bikemad]

Some of these ridiculous laws makes no sense at all.

10km/h speed limit for riders of electric bikes, yet those on conventional bikes can go 20km/h.

If they are going to ban electric bikes, presumably they will also want to ban kids on electric vehicles (scooters, trikes, tractors and miniature cars etc.).
We must also include electric wheelchairs and mobility vehicles, because those are also "unlicensed, their drivers are uninsured and it’s not uncommon to find them in the middle of the road, or cruising down a city sidewalk".

It probably won't be too long before being allowed to walk or run in any public place becomes an offence while using any form of electrical assistance, so those at risk of being caught will have to make sure they switch off their pacemakers (or remove them completely) before venturing out, or face prosecution.

Unfortunately, ridiculous legislations like these are unlikely to be withdrawn once they have been implemented, as most official bodies will never admit that they have actually made a stupid mistake.

Alan
 

[MAGICPIE3FOCUSPOWER]

Waauww another excuse to take money from people.
 

[GM Canada]

Thank you for your support.

This is the idiocy we are facing in some parts of Ontario, Canada. The province of Ontario did a long term study on Ebikes and decided they were as safe as bicycles. The only difference in operation of an Ebike is you have to be 16 and wear a helmet. They did however make the mistake of allowing cities to create there own laws about Ebikes. Now the city of Toronto and others are having a traffic gridlock crisis and are looking for suggestions on how to cut down the traffic and go green. Could any answer be better than Ebikes? Now the cyclists don't want to share the bike paths and bike lanes and the cars don't want them on the road. So legislating them until they don't exist seems to be the answer.

Most of the harassment against Ebikes comes from the newspapers. Specifically the "star" chain of papers.

Here is another slanted article by the Toronto star.

http://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2012/10/11/when_is_an_ebike_a_bicycle.html

Misinformation about speeds and such. Stating Ebikes are dangerous as they go faster then regular bikes. The actual laws on path speeds is 20kph. Easily about 20 percent of the path riders are of the spandex group and exceed these speeds. It would seem enforcing the laws that exist would make more since then creating more laws. Another thing they state often is Ebikes at silent and sneak right up on you from behind. How would an Ebike be quieter then a regular bike. It's all dumb excuses made up by those that don't want to share.

Gary

[MAGICPIE3FOCUSPOWER]

Yes I agree with you!

I hope they don't introduce those stupids laws over here.

Most people says E bike are for grannies and grandpa's o well they are just jealous.
And they look stupid when a young guy (me) riding a bike with a helmet haha

[OzGeeksGarage]

I was watching one of the "real life" New Zealand police shows in which an officer pulled up a guy who was riding a E-Bike because he noticed him not pedaling and doing 40kph, apparently the law there is 20kph limit. It looked like a Magic pie style conversion, the guy had it because he lost his licence, didn't say why. He was wearing a helmet and reflective vest, had all the right gear, riding safely, he was nice in manner talking to the cop and he pointed out that a normal bike could do over 20kph pedaling, but the cop still booked him for driving a vehicle without a licence and I think for an unlicensed vehicle.

[GM Canada]

PLEASE EVERYONE!

If you have not voted yet please follow this link and vote NO!

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2013/02/28/star-editorial-e-bikes-dont-belong-on-trails-and-pathways/

Gary

[vptech]

thanks for the post Gary.  I posted on ES

[Lollandster]

Interesting reading. Here in Norway we follow the EU legislations (even though we aren't a part of EU). As you might now EU requires you to pedal and not have engine power above 20km/h. I have always been jealous of you Americans who can cruise around at 32 km/h without pedaling. But after reading this I'm starting to think the EU rules maybe helping the e-bike movement more than hurting it. You have to know what to look for to spot a normal European e-bike amongst regular bikes, and before you know it you might have to look hard to spot a regular bike amongst electric ones. It can be very hard to identify a bike as electric and therefor I don't think they will make distinctions between them any time soon.

Six meters wide pathways? I don't think I've ever seen that. Most roads made for cars around here are less than six meters wide, pathways are usually less than two meters.

[Lu.Sochr]

Well it seems that voting is slightly improving for us. Currently it is 374 for yes and 263  286 for no. Yesterday the difference was much bigger.

I noticed, that yesterday I could not voted more than once (even via different browsers) but today I did vote again!

So please vote against this stupid law every day

[GM Canada]

Yes vote at home, work, your friends house, on your phone, anywhere you can. Also send an email to all you friends family co workers and anyone that cares about you.

Click the link and vote NO!

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2013/02/28/star-editorial-e-bikes-dont-belong-on-trails-and-pathways/

Gary

[Bikemad]

Currently it is 374 for yes and 263  286 for no. Yesterday the difference was much bigger.

Hey guess what? If you ask the right people, you get the right answer:



Common sense finally prevails!

Administration determined that pathways have to be at least six metres wide to safely accommodate e-bikes.

They probably had these pictures in mind when they made that decision:





or perhaps they thought the "e" in ebikes is short for enormous:



A big bike obviously needs a bigger road (preferably without any stop junctions or low bridges).

Alan
 

[GM Canada]

Thank you to anyone that voted. We are now way out front in this poll! Still if you have not voted do so anyway!

Gary

Hahaha, great pictures Alan!

[atcspaul]

i am really surprised that many people voted yes. part of the beauty of having an electric bike is not having to license them.