Police recently reminded parents and schools of a law which bans e-bikes from being ridden by children under the age of 14.
But E&I president Adrian Gabriel told the States Assembly yesterday that he would ask his committee to discuss the minimum age requirement with a view to reducing it.
‘It’s my personal view that revision of the e-bike age and lowering it either to 12, or maybe even to entry-level secondary school [11], would be sufficient,’ he said.
His understanding was that the change could be made at committee level by statutory instrument, without requiring the approval of the Assembly.
Deputy Gabriel was responding to a question asked by his predecessor Lindsay de Sausmarez, now president of Policy & Resources, who wanted to know if E&I was interested in changing the law to promote the use of e-bikes.
She has been involved in projects which meant that last year St Martin’s Primary School could claim to have more pupils walking, cycling or using the bus than any other school in the British Isles.
‘I have noticed a very significant increase in bikes at schools, and in the island generally one of the big game changers has been e-bikes, which have absolutely revolutionised a school run near me,’ said Deputy de Sausmarez. ‘My understanding is that the current age limit is a bit of an anachronism.
'And it varies in different jurisdictions – for example, in Canada it’s 12.’
E-bikes are heavier than pedal cycles and can travel at just over 15mph before the motorised assistance cuts out.
Deputy Gabriel claimed that the weight and speed of e-bikes justified a minimum age restriction in law. But he felt that younger secondary school-age students could handle them as long as they had received some training.
‘There certainly has to be some ability to ride them, and I’m pleased to say that we now have a full complement of Bikeability instructors who help to get students on the road,’ he said.
He was less enthusiastic about a request from Aidan Matthews to reconsider previous proposals for a network of routes to cover the island from east to west.
It was reported in 2019 that E&I was investigating a suggestion from a local surveyors’ firm to create an off-road foot and cycle path linking Cobo with St Peter Port.
Deputy Matthews said the project would ‘really help improve cycling and pedestrian infrastructure around the island’ and encourage a further increase in the number of schoolchildren and others using bikes.
Deputy Gabriel said his committee had not discussed it.
‘Its route would go through many, many properties in private ownership and it is a bone of contention to negotiate with those owners to come through their land.’
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