The Bicycling Advocacy Group (Malta) has expressed concern that pedelecs under 250w will have to be registered, unlike a normal bicycle. Unfortunately the state is using pedelecs to try to regulate unregistered higher >powered bicycles converted with petrol engines, the group said. Under EU law very low powered pedelecs such as those under 250w that produce much less power than the riders themselves are supposed to be treated like normal unpowered bicycles. The group noting that motorized bicycle use and particularly the use of environmentally friendly pedelecs that are also sustainable forms of transport on the road had also fallen dramatically since 2012. The drop in pedelec use was mostly due to the regulations as they stand. These also contain certain provisions that will make it impossible for a pedelec based public bike share programme to be commercially viable. One of the biggest problems is how you would distribute a clean helmet and hi visibility vest with each bike at the docking station, rekindling memories of the failed Park and Ride bicycle scheme that were also heavily criticised by the public over helmet hygiene. The group said that where mandatory helmet laws exist, even partial ones such as in Spain, cycling uptake dropped by as much as 30% and in the case of Australia this had put cycling back 30 years.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 09:51:19 +0000
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