Own an e-bike? Then you may soon need a licence to ride it

Riders of certain e-bikes may soon need a licence to ride on South Africa's roads.

The latest amendment to the Road Traffic Act published on December 10 classifies electric bicycles (e-bikes) with a top speed of more than 45km/h as motor vehicles. By law, a motor vehicle travelling on a public road must be registered/licensed and the rider must have a licence for that class of vehicle.

However, the amendment does not make provision for an e-bike licence and Cape Town's portfolio committee on safety and security has stated it will request further guidance on the practical application of the law from transport minister Barbara Creecy.

Committee chair Mzwakhe Nqavashe says clarity about the law is needed so the city can create awareness among affected road users, sensitise staff who will be tasked with enforcement and consider potential changes to traffic bylaws that may be required.

“The amendment is welcomed, particularly as the city has noted an increase in the use of electric pedal cycles, but it is critical that we have a clear understanding of the expectations accompanying it,” said Nqavashe.

TimesLIVE contacted the transport department to find out whether e-bikers would require licences but had not received a response by the time of publication.

Electrically assisted bicycles are growing in popularity in South Africa, with a recent Treadmtb survey revealing 13.4% of mountain bikers now own e-bikes compared with 10% in 2022.

E-bikes have an integrated electric motor used to assist the rider’s pedal power and use rechargeable batteries. They are available as road, gravel and mountain bikes and their motor-powered top speed is dependent on the model, with the less powerful e-bikes capable of between 25km/h and 32km/h. You can ride an e-bike faster than that, but the motor will cut out and you’ll be riding solely under your own power.

A bicycle shop owner told TimesLIVE he doesn’t believe the new law will make much of a difference as top-of-the-range e-bikes are capped at 45km/h, which is below the threshold announced in the new law. He said some owners modify their e-bikes to go faster however. It is these riders who may fall foul of the new law, but it will be difficult to police as bicycles — regular and motorised — are able to exceed 45km/h going downhill.

Nqavashe reminded e-bike riders and regular cyclists the rules of the road are also applicable to them, including stopping at red lights/stop streets, giving way to pedestrians at crossings where they have right of way, signalling, wearing proper safety attire such as helmets and not using freeways and pavements.

“Among the more common transgressions our traffic officers find are cyclists entering roads in a manner that is unsafe and riding on pavements,” said Nqavashe.