MP warns over illegally modified e-bikes danger

The use of illegally modified e-bikes was a growing public safety and fire risk which required "urgent action" from the government, a West Yorkshire MP has said.

A report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking (APPGCW) has found that the lack of regulation around e-bike safety was putting lives at risk, particularly among delivery riders in low-paid, high-pressure environments.

Fabian Hamilton, Labour MP for Leeds North East and co-chair of the APPGCW, said it was a "crisis hiding in plain sight".

The increase in battery fires caused by unregulated e-bike conversion kits was a "serious risk", according to Hamilton.

The cross-party report, called Unregulated and Unsafe: The Threat of Illegal E-Bikes, was written following an inquiry which took evidence from fire services, police, industry bodies, gig economy workers, academics and regulators.

It heard evidence that delivery riders, such as those transporting food, were often exploited and their working conditions were comparable to the "sweated labour" faced by factory workers during the industrial revolution.

The APPGCW report found that as a result of those working conditions, some riders were incentivised to use faster, often illegal, bikes to meet delivery targets.

It also found that online marketplaces were selling unsafe products with little or no oversight, enforcement, or legal liability.

The report called on online retailers to immediately withdraw unsafe e-bike items from sale, and for them to be accountable for unsafe listings.

It suggested creating a government-backed e-bike safety "kitemark" in order to enable transport authorities and insurance companies to confidently lift e-bike bans.

It also recommended reinstating "worker" status for gig economy riders so their rights and protections could be guaranteed.

Hamilton said: "While responsible cycling businesses continue to meet high safety standards, the rise of illegal and unsafe e-bikes, often bought online and used in the gig economy, has created serious risks for riders, the public, and the future of active travel.

"We need urgent action from government and industry to stop unsafe products entering the UK and to protect those being exploited while trying to earn a living."

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