Northern Ireland EAPC status.

[Andrewscotsman]

email sent, pointed out how bloody difficult, expensive and unfair it is to have to register a bike, and how it means that you have to cycle in traffic, forbidden to use cycle lanes. Chief Constable next...

 

[tommie]

email sent, pointed out how bloody difficult, expensive and unfair it is to have to register a bike, and how it means that you have to cycle in traffic, forbidden to use cycle lanes. Chief Constable next...

Unbelievable!!! Thanks a lot!!

What are you thinking of?
Now you`ve presented the Department with TWO options - they are now aware of the option of getting all these NI ebikes registered, insured etc - i`m sure they`ll think the income would come in handy.

Waited years for this opportunity.... now your correspondence will make them think...Yeah, well done

 

[TedG]

Unbelievable!!! Thanks a lot!!

What are you thinking of?
Now you`ve presented the Department with TWO options - they are now aware of the option of getting all these NI ebikes registered, insured etc - i`m sure they`ll think the income would come in handy.

Waited years for this opportunity.... now your correspondence will make them think...Yeah, well done

Can't argue with you Tommie lad. I just tried to subtly explain the situation we have been in but you have arrived with the sledgehammer approach.
Not wrong though.

 

[TedG]

email sent, pointed out how bloody difficult, expensive and unfair it is to have to register a bike, and how it means that you have to cycle in traffic, forbidden to use cycle lanes. Chief Constable next...

With respect I am not entirely convinced any communication with the Chief Constable will aid our cause.
As I (boringly) said several times we were granted a face to face with the Chief of Roads Policing and she pointed out in no uncertain terms that this was not going to ever be a police matter - unless there was an accident which would have to be investigated as a "vehicle" involved would have been illegal e.g. without tax, insurance or registration.
She said she wasn't in any position to influence Parliamentary decisions.

 

[Andrewscotsman]

Ok, I take your point, no use getting in touch with her if she won't do anything. And Tommie, doing **** all is never going to get anything done. I'm outa here!

 

[TedG]

Ok, I take your point, no use getting in touch with her if she won't do anything.

Easy my friend, she said she can't do anything but she was sympathetic and understood our plight.
Very nice and very agreeable lady in an unrewarding and difficult job.

 

[LeighPing]

How hard can it be to sign a dusty document and set us free?

 

[TedG]

He is the champion of the bicycle - isn't he?

 

[Sinjin Smythe]

From the new Infrastructure minister this morning :

“I want to go further under my tenure to transform people’s lives because for me infrastructure is not just the Department of Roads, it is about how we can use that Department to help people to improve their lives, so for example getting more people to walk to school and work; promoting cycling; our greenways, something I’m very passionate about. That helps the climate, it also helps with physical health and mental health…that is the kind of approach I want, and I want to work with people and really make a difference in people’s lives.”

 

[TedG]

Thank you for posting that.
It will be interesting to read my reply, if I get one.
If this is a standard response then it doesn't say much.
We know what their objectives are already, it would have been nice to have been told that they are proposing to "sign off" pedelecs as we had asked.
Is it my impatience or cynicism or are we just being quietly fobbed off?

 

[flecc]

Thank you for posting that.
It will be interesting to read my reply, if I get one.
If this is a standard response then it doesn't say much.
We know what their objectives are already, it would have been nice to have been told that they are proposing to "sign off" pedelecs as we had asked.
Is it my impatience or cynicism or are we just being quietly fobbed off?

Early days, even the simple takes time in politics. We mustn't prejudge, he may have had our emails in mind when he mentioned cycling then, but he'll need time to find out what it's all about.
.

 

[LeighPing]

The cynic in me tells me that they're looking at NI as a test case, to see how much income they can generate from fools that upgrade to speed pedelec criteria. Hopefully, they'll realise that they're just losing money from regular folks that want a bit of physical help from a regular ebike.

 

[TedG]

Just as I read your replies I get a response from Infrastructure.
Can't copy and post on this tablet but the reply is "The issue you have raised is being considered and a reply will issue shortly".
Not sure about the grammar or indeed the reference to "consider" but I wasn't born last weekend and therefore I am always wary about management and politicians.

 

[TedG]

Early days, even the simple takes time in politics. We mustn't prejudge, he may have had our emails in mind when he mentioned cycling then, but he'll need time to find out what it's all about.

Right, NASA standard PC fired up.
With respect Flecc I sent a batch of literature collected from past mails to Dept of Infrastructure as attachments last Sunday so it would be difficult even for a confused person to be unaware of "what it's all about".
I know I can be a bit heavy at times but I included a photo of an E-bike in the hope that it might be of assistance to one who .......................... Sorry I felt it better to delete that line.

 

[TedG]

Good afternoon,
Thank you for your email.
The issue you have raised is being considered and a reply will issue shortly.
Kind Regards
Brian
Brian Burns | DfI Private Office
Room 7-08 | Clarence Court | 10-18 Adelaide Street | Belfast | BT2 8GB
Email: brian.burns@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

 

[TedG]

I resisted sending this in the interests of peace and harmony.

 

[flecc]

Good afternoon,
Thank you for your email.
The issue you have raised is being considered and a reply will issue shortly.
Kind Regards
Brian
Brian Burns | DfI Private Office
Room 7-08 | Clarence Court | 10-18 Adelaide Street | Belfast | BT2 8GB
Email: brian.burns@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

I've received the same reply.
.

 

[nigelbb]

This is going to be a simple decision as it is in the interests of both Unionists & Nationalists to show harmonisation with both the UK & the Republic WRT e-bikes. Paying nurses properly is probably their top priority but that doesn't require legislation just ministerial sign-off.

 

[flecc]

The cynic in me tells me that they're looking at NI as a test case, to see how much income they can generate from fools that upgrade to speed pedelec criteria.

There is no income, e-vehicles VED (road tax licence) is free of charge.
.

 

[tommie]

There is no income, e-vehicles VED (road tax licence) is free of charge.

Of course there`s income,

Income when MOT comes around - income on the tax on the Insurance - Income on the CBT Test
Registration alone is £55

I`m sure they could think of more.

Anyway this should be an open goal, not helped i may say by a couple of looney-tunes that have gone down the route of registering their bicycle as a moped.