Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of applying speed limits for motor vehicles to (a) pedal bicycles and (b) e-bikes.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
No assessment has been made of the potential merits of applying speed limits for motor vehicles to (a) pedal bicycles and (b) e-bikes.
Like all road users, people who cycle have a duty to behave in a safe and responsible manner and follow the rules of the road.
While speed limits set under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 only apply to motor vehicles, cyclists can still be charged with careless or dangerous cycling offences depending on the circumstances.
E-bikes that do not comply with the Electrically Pedal Assisted Cycles regulations, which include a requirement for power assist to cut off at 15.5 miles per hour, are classed as mechanically propelled vehicles. So, riders are already subject to speed limits while riding these bikes if power assist is being used. Riders may cycle faster than 15.5 miles per hour using pedal power.
Cyclists are in practice seldom able to exceed the speed limits that apply to motorised vehicles.
Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will introduce advanced disclosure and barring service checks for pedicab drivers.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Pedicabs (London) Act 2024, which received Royal Assent on 25 April 2024, confers powers onto Transport for London (TfL) to regulate London’s pedicab industry for the first time. TfL is preparing to consult on these prospective regulations, which will include enhanced disclosure and barring service checks for pedicab drivers.
Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with (a) local authorities and (b) organisations that represent local authorities on the use of dockless e-bikes.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The department works closely with local authorities and their representative organisations to deliver our shared transport objectives.
My officials regularly meet with local authority officials to discuss specific transport challenges and better understand how to identify and tackle problems that arise as well as how to make the most of opportunities. Dockless e-bikes are a good example of this.
I also correspond frequently with local leaders on the use of dockless e-bikes in their area and would like to take this opportunity to further encourage such dialogue. The experience and expertise shared by local authorities in correspondence with me and with officials is invaluable as I carefully consider the next steps on policy in this area.
Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data her Department holds on the number of road traffic incidents which involved bicycles operated by (a) Lime and (b) Forest in 2023.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department does not hold the information requested. The Department collects information on personal injury road collisions reported to police via the STATS19 data collection system. STATS19 data does not require information on whether the vehicle was hired, or who the operator of a hired vehicle was.