While cycling was notable in its absence from the government’s recent Road Safety Strategy, the Department for Transport’s newly launched consultation on powered mobility devices could present some good news for disabled cyclists, with a knock-on effect on e-bikers.
The 12-week consultation aims to update rules about where devices can be used, their size and speed, the age of their riders, and if they can carry a passenger. But the most important element is that e-bikes could be legally recognised as mobility aids when used by disabled people, bypassing Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle (EAPC) laws.
“Powered mobility devices give people independence and freedom and the law should enable their safe use,” said Sir Stephen Timms MP, Minister for Social Security and Disability. “This consultation is a chance for users and organisations to help us modernise these outdated rules and ensure they meet today’s needs.”
Wheels for Wellbeing has welcomed the news. The London-based inclusive cycling charity aims to give disabled people the same freedom of movement as pedestrians in the same spaces, while ensuring safety and making use of advances in micro-mobility technology.
“Many of us can’t dismount and push a cycle safely, or at all – so we need to be allowed to keep riding slowly and safely, in the same way that mobility scooter users are already allowed,” Wheels for Wellbeing told us.
As well as sounding horrifically Dickensian, the current Use of Invalid Carriages on Highways Regulations limit mobility aids such as scooters to specific weights and speeds, failing to account for almost 40 years of progress in the area, including heavy powerchairs and e-handcycles.
E-bikes are also something of a grey area in this category. While a number of disabled cyclists would love to be able to use an e-bike, they might not be able to make use of pedal assist features and instead would need a throttle, but currently this changes their vehicles from e-bikes to illegal mopeds in the eyes of the law.
To counter this, Wheels for Wellbeing simply wants the law to be changed to give disabled people access to as many different forms of transport as possible, giving them more flexibility and options in terms of how they get around. The charity is asking for a future-proof framework that increases the current 250W power limit on e-bike motors so they can power heavier vehicles, while scrapping the 14-year-old EAPC minimum age so disabled children can move freely with their family and friends.
“We think the ideal outcome of the consultation would be that the UK implements fair, future-proofed mobility aid regulations that will help move us closer to being a society where all Disabled people can access and use safe, practical mobility aids that work well for them.” said Wheels for Wellbeing.
The ideal result of the consultation for Wheels for Wellbeing would be that disabled cyclists could self-certify their bicycles as mobility aids, in much the same way that disabled drivers can use blue badges. This wouldn’t alter the current EAPC regulations, but it could fit in with the government’s proposed new Low-speed Zero Emission Vehicles (LZEV) legal category, which aims to cover the wide spectrum of new electric micromobility vehicles including large cargo bikes and e-scooters.
If the government takes on board Wheels for Wellbeing’s feedback, this could be a huge turning point for inclusive cycling, while opening up new avenues for e-bike manufacturers to explore.
