Update on N.I. e-bike regs.

[TedG]

You know what Ted.......you're absolutely right!

Based on your very well written statement above my mind is now soundly made up.

I will continue to treat my bike for exactly what is it is! A bicycle!

Good luck to you my friend. Take care, be safe and be happy.

 

[willcee]

Just today I had a long conversation with a chap who runs a successful local bike shop and sells e bikes, he was until just recently involved in a minor capacity with plod, in N. Ireland. He had yesterday a long chat with a senior C.Inspector of psni who was actually very annoyed how the local plod had treated this.. shouldn't have happened he said.. bad publicity not the way i would have handled it, no names here, i wonder if it was B'money or Limavady or Portrush as they have all had so called seizures recently and the local rags highlighted it in their last issues, or was it all the same case just strange doctored reporting.. what I took from the chat i had today with my bike shop owner was just the same as the Chief Const. provided in the FOI request last autumn, keep an eye, handle it with kid gloves, discretion, as they all know they are all in the wrong place, I also asked the question do they have the right to seize anything unless proven stolen, if you are stopped for infringements on a vehicle, but they may go down the no insurance issue, most of us have Grandfather rights to an appropriate liscense if a car driver before 01, so my take is if i can get a local company to insure me on my frame number at a reasonable cost i'll do that and to pot with the rest..

 

[Doomanic]

I passed my motorbike test in 1966.
I rode all manner of bikes including 180mph superbikes for 30 years.
I passed my car test in 1967 and have been driving ever since.

I passed my Class One HGV test in 1971 and drove all manner of artics etc until 1993 when I was forcibly retired due to an industrial accident - not my fault.

All my licences are spotlessly clean.

After this accident I owned and rode a Powabyke in England for several years without incident.
I had no idea what power it put out nor was I ever asked. It had a hand throttle and one pump of the pedals activated this feature and I could use the motor all day if I wanted without pedalling.
The power cut out around 15mph and I accepted that. It was heavy but well engineered.

When we moved back to N. Ireland in 2011 after 33 years living in England I applied for a new "card" licence and one was issued.
The categories are B, B1, BE, C1, C1E, D1, D1E.
When I questioned the apparent lack of a motorbike category I was told that they had no record of me passing a test!
This is utter rubbish as I remember how proud and relieved I was on getting THAT vital slip of paper.

I suspect my HGV category has been removed as a matter of course and indeed health issues but that doesn’t bother me.
I was recently loaned a superbike here by a friend but I had no idea I wasn’t licensed to ride it!

All that aside I am somewhat sorry / disappointed that some guys are considering going down the licensing route, out of necessity in some cases (Damian).

Personally I won't be going along the registration / insurance / licence route for a bicycle and I will continue to pester as many as I can to have e-bikes treated as bicycles as in the rest of the UK and Europe.

I am a stubborn old scroat and out of principle I refuse to accept this lack of parity and remain in the hope that pedelecs here will eventually be accepted as bicycles as on the Mainland.

I will obviously continue to wander about this excellent forum full of like minded people and will post views, opinions and information as and when I get it.

I will also always be interested in how anyone who agrees to the "process" gets on.

Good luck to you from both of us but out of principle we can't join you.

The Brompton ride this morning was good but we both miss the pedelecs and continue to simmer at how this Mickey Mouse N.I. government allowed this to happen.

DVLA are notorious for missing off “additional” categories on licence renewals. Do you have any of your old licenses showing the entitlement?

 

[TedG]

DVLA are notorious for missing off “additional” categories on licence renewals. Do you have any of your old licenses showing the entitlement?

Yes in fact I have a photocopy image of the old green paper licence showing the motorbike category which I sent to them in my email yesterday.
It was my stupidity at the time for not fully checking the new card licence but I am not going to admit that.
I should know better than to have trusted governmental departments.
The HGV category has also disappeared but as I am retired I am not bothered about that.
After previously having every category known to man I am now licenced to drive a wooden cart pulled by a small pony.

 

[Damian.Doherty]

A pony with a top speed of no more than 4mph

 

[TedG]

A pony with a top speed of no more than 4mph

Obviously restricted to 4mph.

His name is Dobbin.

 

[the_killjoy]

Yes in fact I have a photocopy image of the old green paper licence showing the motorbike category which I sent to them in my email yesterday.
It was my stupidity at the time for not fully checking the new card licence but I am not going to admit that.
I should know better than to have trusted governmental departments.
The HGV category has also disappeared but as I am retired I am not bothered about that.
After previously having every category known to man I am now licenced to drive a wooden cart pulled by a small pony.

You lose the HGV entitlement at 70, unless you jump through a load of hoops to get medical and optician examinations, also for large mini buses.

 

[TedG]

You please the HGV entitlement at 70, unless you jump through a load of hoops to get medical and optician examinations, also for large mini buses.

My days of jumping anywhere are long gone.
Do I miss 16 speed boxes and 35 mile tailbacks on the M62?

No, that was another life and I have no desire to go back to it.

 

[larneyin]

Just today I had a long conversation with a chap who runs a successful local bike shop and sells e bikes, he was until just recently involved in a minor capacity with plod, in N. Ireland. He had yesterday a long chat with a senior C.Inspector of psni who was actually very annoyed how the local plod had treated this.. shouldn't have happened he said.. bad publicity not the way i would have handled it, no names here, i wonder if it was B'money or Limavady or Portrush as they have all had so called seizures recently and the local rags highlighted it in their last issues, or was it all the same case just strange doctored reporting.. what I took from the chat i had today with my bike shop owner was just the same as the Chief Const. provided in the FOI request last autumn, keep an eye, handle it with kid gloves, discretion, as they all know they are all in the wrong place, I also asked the question do they have the right to seize anything unless proven stolen, if you are stopped for infringements on a vehicle, but they may go down the no insurance issue, most of us have Grandfather rights to an appropriate liscense if a car driver before 01, so my take is if i can get a local company to insure me on my frame number at a reasonable cost i'll do that and to pot with the rest..

Just received this from a legal friend. Common sense at last! Suggest we all print off a copy and carry it with us.

 

[flecc]

Just received this from a legal friend. Common sense at last! Suggest we all print off a copy and carry it with us.

Excellent, carrying a printout of this makes a lot of sense, and it will make pedelecers in N.I. feel much more confident that they are not at risk. All they need do is ride sensibly and comply with all normal traffic law.
.

 

[Danidl]

Excellent, carrying a printout of this makes a lot of sense, and it will make pedelecers in N.I. feel much more confident that they are not at risk. All they need do is ride sensibly and comply with all normal traffic law.
.

Finally an adult in the room!.

Just received this from a legal friend. Common sense at last! Suggest we all print off a copy and carry it with us.

Finally an adult in the room!.

 

[TedG]

Just received this from a legal friend. Common sense at last! Suggest we all print off a copy and carry it with us.

Many thanks for that info.
Could there be just a glimmer of light at the end of what was a gloomy tunnel?
Forgive if I am wrong but if indeed you are "One from Larne" say hello to that fair town from me and the hospital who looked after my dear Mother during her last days.

 

[larneyin]

Many thanks for that info.
Could there be just a glimmer of light at the end of what was a gloomy tunnel?
Forgive if I am wrong but if indeed you are "One from Larne" say hello to that fair town from me and the hospital who looked after my dear Mother during her last days.

Ted G
You are right and willdo

 

[TedG]

Ted G
You are right and willdo

 

[mike killay]

So, regarding the seizure of that one bike, some of this forum were correct to suspect that there was more to the story.
Usual thing, conduct yourself sensibly and no-one will notice.
Give offence and they will (legally have to I think) throw the book at you.

 

[TedG]

Correct me as necessary but have there not been a few bikes confiscated in the last weeks simply because they were "uninsured"?

 

[flecc]

Could there be just a glimmer of light at the end of what was a gloomy tunnel?

More than a glimmer Ted, I'd say you are both safe to ride your pedelecs again, the police attitude made clear now. What a pity though that this didn't come before buying the Bromptons.
.

 

[flecc]

Correct me as necessary but have there not been a few bikes confiscated in the last weeks simply because they were "uninsured"?

The letter makes clear that they are to be "outside the scope of general traffic regulations", so no insurance necessary.
.

 

[TedG]

Not to worry Flecc, there is room for both types. The Bromptons have proved invaluable as we have been able to take them in the car to places we would never have been able to take the pedelecs (albeit flat level surfaces) because there was no train service to some excellent seafront areas.
Newcastle, with so many childhood memories for us was unreachable on the pedelecs however the slightest hill there on the Bromptons made us yearn for a bit of assistance.

 

[LeighPing]

That is good news. Get pedelecing again Mr and Mrs Ted.