Murky language around e-bike use

Murky language causes confusion around e-bikes

As active transportation becomes more prevalent across P.E.I. and the number of e-bikes increases, it's time legislation catches up, say cycling advocates.

Isaac Williams and Mitch Underhay, with the group Bike Friendly Charlottetown, say the Highway Traffic Act is confusing for e-bike users.

While proper e-bikes — bicycles with electric motors referred to as power-assisted bicycles — don’t require a licence to operate in P.E.I., language in the Highway Traffic Act suggests they do.

Under the definition for “motorcycle,” it says it “includes a bicycle with a motor attached” and the definition for moped or motor-assisted pedal bicycle includes vehicles “provided with an electric motor.”

Williams and Underhay don't want to see e-bikes classed differently than other bicycles because they encourage bike use and increase accessibility.

“The intention of the technology is not to create a new class of vehicle for the road … the goal is to blend right in," said Williams.

“We basically want to encourage their use. We don’t want to put up barriers and we want to make sure they’re safe," said Underhay.

But Graham Miner, director of Highway Safety, says proper e-bikes don’t fall actually under the definition of a motor vehicle, as they require muscular power to operate.

“Generally, what we’ve been doing here with e-bikes is if the principle means of power is you can pedal them … we haven’t been doing anything with those other than saying ‘do we need to do something with them?’”

Miner says there is more to be done to clarify the act.

“What we’re strongly looking at — of course COVID slowed everything down in this area — … what we were going to do was get a larger group together to start talking about, in broad strokes, motorized personal mobility devices.”

By this, Miner means devices which fall outside the federal regulations for e-bikes.

One of the larger issues with e-bikes is how they’ll fit within the cycling infrastructure and culture already on the Island, especially as active transportation becomes more prevalent and the number of e-bikes increases.

It’s a problem Miner thinks is best solved with better regulations. He hopes a first draft will be done early next year, he said.

“There’s certainly a need for it and I would suggest the sooner the better, rather than waiting and waiting for more of these devices.”