Law passed to license use of electric bikes

May 11, 2023 News

Kaieteur News – In an effort to regulate its use, the Guyana government and opposition on Wednesday agreed to amend the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act to provide for the licensing of electronic bikes (E-bikes).

A law was passed to license users of electric bikes

The amendment means that persons under 16-years old would be prohibited from operating E-bikes and the bikes would have to be registered and licensed by the competent authorities.

In his presentation, Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn welcomed support by the opposition A Partnership for National Unity+ Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) for the legislative amendment. He said: For this Bill, certainly is an important one that I am happy that those on the other side the Honourable members on the other side supporting the Bill.”

Opposition Shadow Home Affairs Minister Geeta Chandan-Edmond told the Assembly that the registration of E-bikes would assist law enforcement agencies to track down those vehicles.  “These devices can be tracked for law enforcement purposes,” she said.  She stressed the importance of regulating those bikes for safety and the maintenance of law and order.

“In any society, personal safety must be paramount safety must from convenience, and I’m very pleased with this move to regulate the usage of the bikes,” she said. Attorney General Anil Nandlall SC that the Guyana Police Force had expressed concern that it had been hamstrung legally to take action against E-bikes.  He noted that many E-bikes have a maximum speed of the now obsolete P-50 motorcycles that were licensed under the existing law.

Nandlall noted however that “They have begun to pose a problem because our legal legislative architecture does not in its current form cater for them.” He said Police Force figures show that 11 persons were killed and 14 0thers seriously injured as a result of the use of electric cycles from 2021 to 2023. “That is a completely unacceptable state of affairs.”

According to the Attorney General, most times E-bike users do not wear helmets and so expose themselves to potential injury and even worse disability or death. “E-bike users did not possess any form of vehicular licence and they took advantage of the fact that the Guyana Revenue Authority was not regulating those vehicles. What is even more frightening is that some of the users are young persons, even persons under the age of 16.”

Last February, it was announced that steps had been taken to have E-bikes registered with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). Top Cop, Clifton Hicken had announced during the Police Officers’ Conference last year, “The Guyana Police Force has engaged the GRA towards the implementation of rules governing their use.” “We’ve seen persons using these bikes, there is no age limit …we’re in discussion to ensure those things are regularised,” he subsequently told media operatives. The issue of the usage of electric bikes on the roadways is not new. Concern has been expressed by many road users over the use of electric-type cycles, especially by children, many of whom do not know traffic signs and laws.

• A law was passed to license users of electric bikes, Attorney General Anil Nandlall SC, persons under 16-years