Electric bikes to remain as invalid carriages

SARK'S Chief Pleas has decided it will not deregulate the use of electric bicycles, following a heated debate.

The proposal to continue to regulate the vehicles – classed as invalid carriages in Sark – was accepted by conseillers when they voted through plans to introduce new vehicle and traffic legislation for the island.

The rules mean islanders with electric bicycles have to renew their invalid carriage licence each year and seek a certificate from a medical practitioner saying they qualify.

Road Traffic Committee chairman John Hunt hit back at fellow conseillers who wanted to see electric bicycles unrestricted and available to all, questioning why they had not spoken up earlier.

He said the committee had originally planned to deregulate the use of electric bikes, but made a U-turn following comments from Chief Pleas and the public during consultation.

'We wanted to deregulate,' he told fellow conseillers. 'You didn't. So we put it back in place.'

Among those in favour of deregulation was Conseiller Andrew Bache, who argued the vehicles had a speed restriction and provided independence to older and less mobile residents.

He pointed out that other jurisdictions had deregulated electric bikes and the high cost of the vehicles would ensure the island was not flooded with them.

Conseiller Stefan Gomoll said he did not think there were enough reasons to continue to restrict electric bikes.

'I don't think it is proportionate because electric bicycles are the same footprint, the same speed as everything else and there are no noise emissions,' he said.

Those who warned against deregulating argued that Sarkees they had approached were not in favour of a free-for-all.

They said the main law allowed Chief Pleas to widen the use of electric bicycles by ordinance in the future and this one part of the legislation should not hold up the rest of the hard work by the committee.

Other changes made in the 'revised' draft legislation – following the consultation – will allow cyclists to hold a white torch rather than having to fix it to their bike.

'The draft legislation provided that cyclists at night either needed to have a light fitted to the front of their bicycle showing a white light, or needed to wear a head torch,' said Conseiller Hunt's report.

'Following comments made, it has been reworded to provide that at night the bicycle needs to "show" a white light to the front.

During Wednesday's lengthy Chief Pleas debate on the legislation, Conseiller Hunt was also asked to clarify the definition of a public road, where the laws would apply.

In response, the conseiller said this would cover any road that had public access, without a 'private' sign or gate in the way.

Some were concerned whether the definition was clear enough or if it could lead to a series of signs being installed and accesses blocked.

* Chief Pleas approved the Projet de Loi for the new legislation by a vote of

18 to 9.