to think electric bikes are a total menace?

[RandomGeocache]

I am not a cyclist hating motorist. But OMG those electric bikes. Regularly drive into Glasgow city centre and they appear to be the transport of choice for people working for Just Eat or Deliveroo.

The electric bikes are FAST. Far quicker than a normal cycle, easily the speed of the cars/lorries/vans. They are not licensed, the riders aren't required to wear helmets, very few have lights back/front, they zip in and out of traffic, through red lights. Accident waiting to happen.

Why are these bikes not classed as motorbikes, requiring a driving licence, r, tax etc?

The Glasgow example above is also clearly a scrambler type bike, not a legal e-bike where you have to pedal and it shuts off at 15mph.

To the poster who said that you get no benefit from an e-bike, mine has gears so you can keep assistance low (or off!) and
cycle to the level you want. If you buy one without gears you might find you use the assist much more.

These sort of bikes aren't illegal, but there are legal classifications. To be classed as a bicycle, an e-bike must have a top powered speed of 15.5mph (25k) Anything faster than that (and some can reach 50mph or more) is classed as a moped or motorbike, and thus requires Registration, Insurance and a driving license. Anyone riding without any of these is breaking the law. I have seen kids riding these at high speeds through parks, They are NOT toys for kids! E-Scooters are much simpler, they are illegal in public, full stop. They can only be used on your own private land. The only exception is those in an official local hire scheme.