Drivers face police crackdown on two types of vehicle which pose 'danger'

More than 50 illegal e-bikes and five electric scooters have been seized by police in Sheffield city centre.
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Police are set to implement a massive crackdown on e-bikes and e-scooters which pose a "danger" to pedestrians. More than 50 illegal e-bikes and five electric scooters have been seized by police in Sheffield city centre.

South Yorkshire Police said some of the bikes had the potential to reach speeds of 40mph (64km/h). Sgt Simon Pickering said the "potentially dangerous" vehicles had the capacity to cause serious injury to the rider and pedestrians if ridden in an unsafe way.

He said: "This puts pedestrians going about their daily business in danger, and we won't hesitate to exercise our power and seize these illegally modified bikes and scooters." You can ride an electric bike if you’re 14 or over, as long as it meets certain requirements.

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These electric bikes are known as ‘electrically assisted pedal cycles’ (EAPCs). You do not need a licence to ride one and it does not need to be registered, taxed or insured. An EAPC must have pedals that can be used to propel it.

By law, electric bikes should not exceed 15.5mph when assisted by an electric motor. It is also against the law to ride electric scooters on a public road, cycle lane or pavement. They can only be legally ridden on private land with the landowner's permission.

Sgt Pickering added: "We have been seeing high-powered e-bikes and electric scooters being ridden through busy areas of Sheffield city centre at speeds far exceeding the legal limit. We have built up our knowledge around these vehicles and the fact we have seized a total of around 55 shows that we won't hesitate to act against riders who are breaking the law and putting other people in danger."

Its electric motor must have a maximum power output of 250 watts and should not be able to propel the bike when it’s travelling more than 15.5mph.