Call for tougher action over illegal e-bikes

A call has been made for tougher action to be taken against people using illegal e-bikes and e-scooters amid concerns about dangerous riding.

Mark Ieronimo, Hull City Council's portfolio holder for transport and infrastructure, has written to the transport secretary calling for clearer rules and tougher enforcement.

He said his constituents felt unsafe because e-bikes that had been illegally modified were being ridden dangerously there.

A government spokesperson said illegal e-bikes had "no place on our roads and pavements", and a change in the law meant police could seize the bikes without needing to issue a warning first.

Ieronimo said residents in his Pickering ward felt unsafe taking their children to school because of "very fast e-scooters whizzing past", and he added he had seen one in a collision on Hessle Road.

People in Hull city centre said they also had concerns about e-bikes and e-scooters.

Neil Hemingway said: "I feel frightened sometimes. You just can't go anywhere, even outside your own house. They're coming past... crazy speeds of 50-60mph."

Tamika McKenna said they were a good way for younger people to get around, but they could also be "a menace".

"I feel like you're trying to dodge them, instead of them dodging you," she said.

Most road-legal e-bikes are classed as electrically assisted pedal cycles (EAPCs).

To qualify, they must have pedals that can propel the bike, have a motor rated at no more than 250W and stop providing electric assistance above 15.5 mph.

It is illegal if its motor exceeds the legal power limit or if it continues providing electric assistance above the maximum permitted speed.

Once a bike no longer meets the legal definition of an EAPC, it can be treated as a motor vehicle under road traffic laws. This means riders need insurance, a driving licence, a vehicle registration and an approved helmet.

It is illegal to ride a privately owned e-scooter in public, including on pavements, on roads and in parks.

The Department for Transport defines an e-scooter as having two wheels, no pedals and a maximum continuous power rating of 500W.

Ieronimo said: "In both cases, with e-scooters and e-bikes, we're seeing these modifications and they're just going far too fast for the areas that they're used in."

A government spokesperson said: "Privately owned e-scooters remain illegal on roads, pavements and other public spaces, and we're bringing forward new laws to make their use safe.

"Illegal e-bikes that can reach dangerous speeds also have no place on our roads and pavements.

"That's why we've strengthened police powers, changing the law so that officers no longer need to issue a warning before seizing them."

The Crime and Policing Act 2026 introduced measures which meant officers were no longer required to issue a warning before seizing e-bikes.

Ieronimo has also contacted Humberside Police, asking the force to review its approach to illegal e-bikes and e-scooters.

He said Operation Yellowfin – a team dedicated to combatting motorcycle crime – had been effective but he was concerned about what would happen when it ended.

"We need something that they can enforce whenever this becomes a problem," he said.

Humberside Police has been contacted for comment.

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