-as accidents rise to 59

-by Shamiah Grant

Following a sharp increase in dangerous riding and fatal crashes, Traffic Chief Mahendra Singh has launched an immediate police crackdown on unlicensed e-bike operators, warning that adult owners will face legal action if they allow minors to ride.

The heightened enforcement marks a shift from earlier community-awareness efforts, driven by serious safety concerns and 59 recorded e-bike accidents resulting in 13 deaths since 2021.

Under the intensified enforcement measures, Singh says adult owners will be held legally accountable for allowing underage children to operate these vehicles.

“So genuinely what we were doing is to raise awareness that would realign their behaviors. So there were lectures, there were PSAs, there are continuous daily TV and radio programs. We have done articles in each sect of the print media section of it. To do what? To really drive home the point that even though lawfully there are things that we can do, us in the traffic department recognize that such a means of transportation is one which reaches maybe the pocket of everyone, because they are not so expensive, but at the same time, there is this seriousness associated with how it is used,” he explained.

Traffic Chief Mahendra Singh

​The crackdown follows mounting complaints from residents in expanding communities such as Tuschen, where children under 16 are frequently seen riding dangerously and putting other road users at risk.

“You would see across many communities in our country persons of varying ages and or gender utilizing these very electric cycles, and they’re utilizing them in a very poor manner, reference safety, no helmets, they are not riding on the left-hand side of the road, but they’re riding on either hand side of the road, into oncoming traffic, between two lanes of traffic, some of the cycles, they don’t even have any lighting mechanism, they have absolutely nothing to forewarn someone that they are approaching, passing, or driving next to,” he said.

Traffic Department data from 2021 to date reveal 59 recorded e-bike accidents, resulting in 13 fatalities, 22 serious injuries, and 24 minor injuries.

In September 2023, the Traffic Department shifted its focus toward community awareness rather than strict penalties, acknowledging that e-bikes serve as an essential and budget-friendly mode of transportation for many families.

However, a recent increase in e-bike accidents has raised serious safety concerns, prompting officials to take decisive enforcement action where necessary.