Why 80 per cent of commuters should switch to using electric bikes and scooters - letter

Because of the virus, public transport is no longer safe, but we can’t afford to have even more cars ploughing into the centre each morning.

My ‘solution’ would be to aim to have 80 per cent of commuters switch to using electric bikes and maybe scooters.

To enable this, the law would need to change in order to allow anyone over the age of 14 to ride an electric bike without the need for insurance etc. but with more power than the current 250-watt maximum, and to get rid of the ban on the use of a throttle and 15-mph maximum speed under power.

The law for electric bikes was designed for leisure usage not commuting.

The restrictions tend to make electric bikes complicated, expensive, less reliable and impractical for commuting.

More power is needed for the less fit user and to enable cowling for wind and rain protection.

We need to enable the use of a throttle for those who don’t want to arrive at work too sweaty.

Of course, all road users need to obey the regular speed limit which it is possible to exceed with a regular bike.

Electric bikes use a 20th of the energy of electric cars.

I admit that raising the power to say 450w might initially result in slightly more road casualties, but any increase would be minuscule compared to deaths from the effects of traffic pollution, not to mention the looming global warming crisis.

Bikes have fatal accidents with cars, not with pedestrians.

Currently about two pedestrians a year are killed by pedal bikes in the whole of the UK.

Chris Carter

Oldfield Road, Stannington