E-Bike Act - A most asinine piece of legislation!

E-Bike Act – A most asinine piece of legislation!

May 14, 2023 Letters

Dear Editor,

Kaieteur News – The amended act governing E-bikes is one of the most asinine pieces of legislation that the sitting Government has tabled.

Is Guyana unique in the proliferation and use of E-bikes?

Other countries have no such requirement as is now the case with the passage of this act. This is a very good example of using a hammer to install a thumb-tack. While the sale, usage and maintenance of e-bikes require regularization, there is absolutely no reason to categorize them as Motorcycles.

These now ubiquitous bikes are the poor man’s mode of transportation. They are cheap, affordable and allow many at the lower rung of society to carry out their daily functions with ease.

Yes, the Subject Minister stated that there were 7 fatalities involving e-bikes.

So what of the hundreds of other deaths that do not involve E-bikes? Yes, it’s unfortunate but there are many more fatalities involving pedestrians cars, trucks etc.

The authorities ought to focus on the root causes of these fatalities. The most obvious of which are poor road conditions, speeding, dangerous/reckless and drunken driving, unfit, derelict vehicles, construction material, equipment and machinery encroaching upon the roadways, overloaded heavy haulers etc. This amended legislation merely allows the authorities to shift attention away from these factors that contribute to the many vehicular incidents, injuries and fatalities.

It should be noted that the Subject Ministers and the current and past GPF Traffic Chiefs have issued numerous warning to those who encroach upon the roadways. Those warnings have not been followed with any real effort much-less sustained enforcement.

One can only conclude that those warnings were merely all bark and no bite. If anything, those so tasked, including the subject Ministers ought to be held to account for the mayhem (on the roadways) that are as a result of the less than stellar enforcement.

The buck stops with those who have direct responsibilities in these areas.

What the Authorities ought to do is launch an educational campaign for all E-bike users and retracing for all road users. On the regularization, it would be more fiscally prudent and responsible to establish and enforce a system where sale of e-bikes can only be transacted upon completion of a training program on use, maintenance, rules of the road etc. Put the onus on the vendors to ensure that e-bikes are registered with GRA for a one-time fee.

There are many who have expressed gleefulness at the passing of this legislation. They do so while expressing among other things, a deep concern and disdain for the way and manner in which the E-bikes are used by some riders. Not all riders pose a danger to themselves or others.

This carte blanche endorsement of anything the Administration does is not healthy. It suggests a wilful blindness to the contributing factors and in some cases party politics

Thank you kindly,
Jay Mobeen

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