Mamdani’ sends ‘cease and desist’ over illegal e-moto sales, #225
While the online ‘e-bike’ world gets murkier. In better news, London's cycling network hits 450km...
It’s widely acknowledged that many of the illegal e-motorbikes plaguing UK streets, catching fire and wreaking untold reputational damage to the legitimate e-bike industry are found on online marketplaces. Despite being illegal for almost all use cases in the UK, often unsafe and sometimes lethal, these products are easily purchased via well-known online marketplaces that meanwhile claim safety is a top priority. Facing a similar problem New York, Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has finally said enough is enough.
BIG STORIES FOR CYCLING ADVOCACY
‘CEASE AND DESIST’ OVER ILLEGAL E-MOTO SALES. Online sales of illegal e-motos (fake e-bikes) is a scourge on UK and US city streets. Last week New York City Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, issued cease and desist orders to 40 online retailers warning them to stop selling prohibited e-scooters and e-motos. Offending marketplace owners face fines of up to $2,000 per illegal sale. The move is intended to crack down on the dangerous, overpowered machines that are involved in more than half of e-bike and stand up e-scooter rider deaths in the city. Amazon responded by saying ‘safety is a top priority’, and it is ‘looking into the products in question’.
ILLEGAL INFLUENCERS? Cycling Electric’s Mark Sutton has been busy delving into the world of e-bike crime… including highlighting the “‘e-bike’ influencer” content that could get you arrested. Sutton has identified plenty of such content, which he alleges contains mostly e-motorbikes, including those with cheat buttons to make them appear road-legal. He says this material is being fed, via algorithms, to legitimate e-bike and motorbike users - not all of whom may know the products are illegal on UK roads without registration. Astonishing.
LONDON IS A CYCLING CITY. News today that London’s cycling network has grown with Sadiq Khan (supported by London Cycling & Walking Commissioner Will Norman) delivering a fivefold expansion of London’s network of Cycleways to over 450km - enabling millions & millions of greener, cleaner, safer & healthier journeys. Campaign group LCC said: “There’s lots left to do but this is a moment to celebrate!”
FROM DOORSTEP TO DESTINATION. For a truly integrated transport system that provides the choice not to drive, we need to think about whole journeys. That’s what the latest report by the Urban Transport Group, From Doorstep to Destination, aims to do. It notes that every public transport trip starts with a local trip, and for people to cycle or walk those local legs of journeys we need to focus on the details of people’s neighbourhoods, and ‘trip attractors’, i.e. destinations. The recommendations include the rollout of side road zebra crossings, tackling pavement parking, boosting the design quality and maintenance budgets of pavements and cycle routes, and integrating new developments with active travel networks.
BIKE NOUVEAU. The French government has committed to increasing cycle commuting from 5% of trips (half the European average) to 12% by 2030. New research has quantified the impact of existing cycle routes and secure parking on cycling levels, and overlaid census data to establish how France might reach this goal. Researchers estimate the country needs to increase cycle lanes by 2.3 times, and cycle parking by 17 times. They also underline the need to understand the different areas, rural and urban, and their residents, and tailor approaches accordingly. It’s a technical, but fascinating piece of work, with some impressive graphs (see below).
OTHER HEADLINES
BOGOTA SETS SIGHTS ON GENDER PARITY. Gender parity in cycling is essential to meet health, emissions and climate goals and, frankly, it should be a goal for any city. Bogota set a cycling policy in 2021 that incorporated a ‘gender perspective’, and now has a target to reach gender parity by 2039. It’s a stretch because, even though the Colombian city is a global success story, as this Guardian piece points out, just 28% of its cyclists are women. Concerns around safety and theft are major barriers for women, along with a need for more safe cycle networks and the fact that a third of women never learned to cycle.
INTERESTING GRAPH OF THE WEEK:
The left graph shows the impact of cycle lanes in boosting cycling levels in high, medium and low density population areas, and the right shows the almost as impressive impact of cycle parking. Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X26001757#tbl4
Cycle lanes b) Cycle parking
ACTIVE TRAVEL WORD OF THE WEEK:
Cease and desist. Some legal nerdery this week, clarifying that while an individual or company may send out cease and desist letters to those they believe have committed, say, copyright infringements, urging them to stop or face legal action, when a government does it, it’s more serious. In this case the cease and desist letter New York City sent to online retailers acts as an order, i.e., a warning of impending enforcement. If marketplaces keep selling illegal e-motorbikes and e-scooters, they will face fines.
Until next time,
Adam Tranter
CEO, Fusion & Founder, #BikeIsBest
This newsletter is brought to you by Fusion, the agency for movers, specialising in communications and public affairs for active travel and mobility.
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