Amazon urged to ban sale of ‘unsafe' e-bikes
MPs have criticised the online retail giant and food delivery firms such as Deliveroo, whose couriers sometimes use the hazardous e-bikes to boost their earnings.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking has written to the head of Amazon in the UK, urging the retailer to immediately halt sales of the bikes and all equipment that is used to convert legitimate electric bikes into so-called 'fake e-bikes', it is understood.
The group, chaired by the Labour MP Fabian Hamilton, is also calling on ministers to implement tighter controls on the sale of ebikes.
Electric bikes can be legitimately bought and ridden on UK roads if they adhere to a strict set of safety regulations. Ebikes cannot exceed 15.5 miles per hour and must have a motor that is limited to 250W to prevent fires.
However, some bikes are being sold that can reach speeds of up to 70 mph, equipped with throttle controls and powerful motors, under the guise that they would be ridden off-road. Despite recent crackdowns by police, these bikes have been terrorising pedestrians in cities and have caused house fires because of substandard batteries.
The authors of the MPs' report found one bike on Amazon that boasted speeds of 40 mph and a 2000W motor described as being for 'city commutes'. The MPs also found an 'unsafe charger with an unfused clover leaf plug, and multiple charging cables supplied, both of which are considered a fire risk', being sold on the site.
Amazon told the MPs that the clover leaf plug 'should not be anywhere near the Amazon store, it's clearly not safe' and promptly removed the charger from sale.
An Amazon spokesman said that safety was a top priority. 'We require all products offered in our store to comply with applicable laws and regulations and we monitor for product safety concerns. We also go further by requiring sellers of e-mobility products to provide documented testing certification carried out by an accredited lab.'
The report also criticised companies in the 'gig economy' such as Deliveroo, JustEat and Uber Eats which typically class their couriers as self-employed rather than staff. Couriers are paid based on their trips and are responsible for their vehicles, which the report claims has led meant that many riders 'turn to illegal or unsafe vehicles that can travel faster than a legal e-bike but are far cheaper than road-legal mopeds or electric vehicles'.
Shaf Hussain, a food courier who also represents the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain, a trade union for gig economy workers, said: 'There are road-legal bikes. Unfortunately, those bikes… it's all the distance factor. Is that going to last me for the entire day? Most bikes only do about 50 miles range, unfortunately. So I need something that can do at least 100-150 miles range just for the day. That's why you see a lot of bikes with, like, three or four battery packs on them.'
The MPs are calling for all noncompliant e-bikes to be withdrawn from sale; for delivery companies to be made to pay couriers across shifts, rather than per delivery; and for a national scrappage scheme for illegal bikes.
A Deliveroo spokesman said that all of its riders have to comply with all safety regulations and defended their working conditions. 'Complying with safety standards is a condition of riders' supplier agreements. If an incident of a rider using an illegally modified e-bike is reported to us, we will investigate and stop working with the rider if they are in breach of their obligations.'
An Uber Eats Spokesman said: 'The safety of our customers, couriers and the general public is a top priority. Couriers must adhere to all applicable laws and regulations, including the Highway Code, and we work closely with a range of partners to provide ongoing safety education and access to discounted legal e-bikes and e-mopeds.'
Just Eat said that on average its couriers earn significantly more than the London minimum wage. 'Safety is taken very seriously at Just Eat. Couriers sign a robust Service Agreement, and we regularly provide guidance on safety and responsible behaviour, including e-bike use. Breaches are met with swift action and zero tolerance for criminal behaviour.'
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