If the government can effectively crack down on illegal remodeling of electric bikes and enhances education for riders, waiving the requirement for a license might be considered, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said.
Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Frank Fan (范植谷) made the remarks on Thursday in a public hearing at the Legislative Yuan on the ministry’s plan to increase regulations for electric bicycle riders by requiring a license to ride the vehicles.
Taiwan Electric Vehicles Development Association chairman Vincent Cheng (鄭丞宏) said licensing for electric bicycle riders is not the only way to curb violations.
He said that electric bicycles should carry a license plate different from those of scooters, which allow police to fine the riders if they breach traffic rules.
Cheng said much fewer accidents were caused by electric bicycles than by motorcycles, which require a license.
Cheng said that electric bicycles can only reach a maximum speed of 25kph and even a regular bicycle can go faster than that.
He asked if that should form the basis for a requirement that all vehicle operators be licensed.
The license requirement for electric bicycles would exclude use by elderly people, immigrants and the economically disadvantaged, he said, adding that the measure would also hurt families working in the industry.
Fan said 1,526 people were injured in accidents involving electric bicycles last year, three times more than the number recorded in 2012.
In 2014 and last year, records show eight people were killed in accidents involving electric bicycles, he said, adding that the rate of accidents increased following an increase in the number of electric bicycles.
While electric bicycles are designed with a maximum speed of 25kph, some people have altered the engines so that the bicycles can run faster, which some have attributed to the increase in accidents, he said.
“Research shows that the death rate in collisions is below 10 percent if the electric bike is operating at 30kph. However, the death rate increases to 80 percent if it was doing at 50kph,” he said.
He said that the ministry’s proposal that electric bicycle riders wear a helmet and carry certification labels was met with general approval. The issue now is whether electric bicycle riders should be licensed.
“There should be adequate education and promotion about road safety, and police should crack down on vehicles that have been modified. Only when these two conditions are met can we consider waiving the requirement for a license,” he said.
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