A local authority has called on Labour to introduce stricter rules for e-bikes and e-scooters in a bid to make roads safer for pedestrians and fellow road users.
Broxtowe Borough Council has unanimously pushed for stricter regulations on e-bikes and e-scooters, including mandatory licensing requirements and registration systems.
The motion, passed at Wednesday evening's full council meeting, directed the council to write to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander requesting an urgent review of current legislation.
Councillor Adam Stockwell, who proposed the motion, cited serious safety concerns about dangerous riding, speeding, and deliberate intimidation of pedestrians.
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Councillors argued that Lime bikes have been found "swerving dangerously in and out around cars in the region
"All it takes is one slip or one miscalculation or it being ridden at an older resident, and that's going to be a serious collision with serious injuries, no doubt," Councillor Stockwell told the meeting.
The council approved an amendment to include e-scooters in the motion alongside e-bikes, with the hope that a change in rules will encourage safer use of the vehicles.
Stockwell described witnessing e-bike riders "swerving dangerously in and out around cars" and failing to obey traffic lights.
He expressed particular concern about riders who were "hard to see" and had observed users deliberately "riding at speed" toward pedestrians.
He recounted an incident in Kimberley where four males dressed in black with face coverings circled and attempted to intimidate a group walking home from a pub.
PA | E-bike riders can face prosecution for failing to follow traffic rules
"It is disgraceful that we have residents in our borough who do not feel safe walking alone at night. My fear is what will happen if it were just one of us on our own," he said.
Councillor Richard MacCrae raised concerns about stolen Lime e-bikes being modified in Stapleford, warning that young people were removing batteries and control panels to create dangerously fast vehicles.
Stockwell described witnessing e-bike users who "decide to ride at speed towards pedestrians deliberately in an attempt to get them to, I don't know, jump out of the way."
"So it means that they've got no chance of being seen at night for a lot of the time, and it's how long until someone gets knocked off because of this," he warned.
Stockwell argued that registration was essential because "so many of the riders who are committing actions of anti-social behaviour are fully covered and you can't identify them."
The motion also requested collaboration with Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner and the East Midlands Mayor to develop a strategy addressing the issue.
The motion received cross-party support, although some councillors argued the issue was anti-social behaviour rather than e-bikes themselves.
MacCrae asked officers to contact Lime to establish how many bikes were being stolen and vandalised, explaining that youngsters were "hacking" the vehicles to bypass speed restrictions.
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Many have expressed their frustration at electric bikes being used for anti-social reasons
McCrae raised additional concerns about theft and vandalism of hire bikes in Stapleford.
He warned that young people were stealing batteries and control panels from vandalised bikes to convert their own e-bikes, making them "way faster than they should be."
The council's letter to the Transport Secretary will specifically request consideration of new licensing requirements, mandatory training courses, and a registration system for e-bikes and e-scooters.
Stockwell emphasised that while he acknowledged the health benefits of cycling and the role e-bikes play for older or less able cyclists, the motion targeted dangerous and antisocial use.
A Lime spokesperson responded to concerns about their hire scheme, which operates in Beeston, stating: "We take vandalism, theft and anti-social behaviour seriously and encourage the public to report incidents to us, including time and location, so we can take swift action."