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.
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.
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?
Did you attempt a citizen’s arrest?
OK, that was one of them, and the rest of the clowns ???