'E-bikes May Be Subject To Speed Limit If Legalised'

A member of the government's electric mobility devices committee said electric bikes and scooters may be subject to a speed limit, and may only be allowed on designated cycling tracks if and when they are legalised in Hong Kong.

Ringo Lee had said earlier that the relevant laws could be in force by the end of the year.

The president of the Hong Kong Automobile Association told an RTHK programme on Tuesday that these vehicles may be required to have a pre-installed speed limit of 25 kilometres per hour – a requirement taken reference from Singapore.

“Many places in the world did not have speed limits in the past. But we have seen that areas without speed limits have higher traffic accident rates and the accidents are more severe,” Lee said, adding that he believes they’ll only be allowed to run on designated cycling tracks.

Lee also pointed out that there will likely be other safety rules, including a mandatory helmet-wearing requirement for riders.

“The most crucial aspect is to have an effective braking system, horn system, product certification, and battery standards," he said.

Meanwhile, Boris Yim, the founding consultant of the Hong Kong Portable Electric Vehicle Association, urged the government to consider allowing these mobile devices to run on certain less-busy roads, on top of cycling paths.

“Some low-speed roads without bike lanes or pedestrian sidewalks should be allowed for use. It should not be a blanket statement to say all roads are either allowed or not allowed,” Yim said.

The chairman of the Hong Kong Cycling Alliance, Martin Turner, also told RTHK that he believes electric mobility should not be limited to cycling tracks.

He called on the authorities to do more to facilitate and promote the use of these environmentally-friendly commute devices.

“Why aren't we looking positively at what these machines can do for Hong Kong rather than banning them and just saying, oh, you can go and play with them on the cycle tracks somewhere in the New Territories where we can't see them?” he questioned.

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