A man has been fined for using an electric motorbike through the city centre with no licence or insurance.
Omar Baloula, 37, was caught riding the Allegro e-bike in Church Street on 28 September last year.
Standard e-bikes don’t need to be insured, as long as they require the pedals to be used and has a low-powered motor doesn’t assist above speeds of 15.5mph. The full rules can be read here.
If the bike has been fitted or modified to exceed these limits, riders must have insurance and a driving licence.
Baloula, of Atlingworth Street, Brighton, pleaded guilty at Brighton Magistrates Court on 1 May to two charges, one of using a motor vehicle without insurance, and one of driving a motor vehicle with no licence.
He was fined £120 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £130 and a court surcharge of £48.
Baloula, who was assisted by an Arabic translator in court, agreed to pay £20 a month starting today. He was also given six points on his driving record.
Court records do not state the model of Allegro e-bike Baloula was riding. Some models for sale in the UK comply with e-bike regulations for riding on the public highway and some exceed the limits.
Modified Allegro e-bikes which exceed the limits are also listed for sale on second hand selling sites.
This kind of vehicle is rightly regarded in law as equivalent to a motorbike or moped because the rider doesn’t have to pedal at all. Good to see that’s made clear in the headline.
a moped is a motorised cycle that can be peddled Hence the Mo(tor)ped)dled
I recently saw an e-scooter this week, modified to have a seat, that was overtaking 20mph traffic in East Brighton.
I recently saw a car this week, unmodified, that was travelling over the 20mph limit in East Brighton.
The difference is the car is taxed, insured, tested and the driver has a licence.
Not always.
But the vehicle would be type approved for safety, and the driver would need a driving licence, road tax, insurance, and an MOT and have license plates.
Have your got an illegal electric motor bike or eScooter by any chance?
300,000 drivers don’t have insurance, 498,000 vehicles have evaded vehicle excise duty and more than a million have no MOT.
Have you got an illegal motor car or truck by any chance?
On, and up to 1 in 15 vehicles have modified, non-compliant and stealth licence plates.
Wow such a useful comment
You’re right, sorry, nobody should highlight the dangers posed by drivers who break the law.
Did you attempt a citizen’s arrest?
OK, that was one of them, and the rest of the clowns ???
Deport!
But who will deliver your curries, Dave?
May 99% of delivery drivers should be taken of the road.
I don’t think mopeds and motorcycles should be allowed to work commercially whilst still on L plates.
It’s difficult to believe that they could get insurance to cover working without holding a full licence so they are likely uninsured at all or not while working.
Perhaps an insurance expert would comment.
There was an article on here about 8 months ago said their insurance is via the company or agency they work through but no mention of eternal L plates or sub letting their gear to anyone else, seems more like anýthing goes.
Totally agree! I hope the authorities removed the bike from his possession and crushed it! Then remove him from our country as he certainly doesn’t have the required standard of English and likes to break our laws!
He’s really unlucky considering I see an illegal e-bike travelling on Western Rd every few minutes.
I saw one tailing a police car.
If you put in an FOI to Sussex Police about how many illegal e-bikes they’ve siezed their reply is – we don’t record the data. That’s how much they’re bothered
The only arrests the police will make nowadays is if you speak out against the crazy political correctness that is today’s world…
Should be reporting 50 per day on North srreet alone.
Ordering on just eat uber your paying more the menu prices are adjusted also 35% charge to business using these sites. Good old delivery charge. Delivered by people from carwash building site covered in dust.