New legislation to regulate e-bikes will be in place 'very shortly', a Councillor has said.

Under the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023, which has been signed into law but has yet to be enacted, higher-powered e-bikes will be considered mechanically propelled vehicles (MPVs).

E-bikes with a motor cut-off speed of 25km/hr will be treated as bicycles.

Those that can go faster than 25km/hr and can operate without pedalling will be classified as an e-moped.

Dublinbikes hybrid e-bikes. Image: Department of Transport

Users of e-mopeds will need to have a licence, registration, tax and insurance.

It comes as Amsterdam is introducing new ways to control e-bikes around the Dutch capital.

It is to test a system that can remotely limit the speed of electric bicycles in certain zones such as near schools.

Users can download an app which controls the limiting device on their bicycle motors.

Green Party Councillor for Dublin Janet Horner told The Hard Shoulder bringing in the legislation is the first step.

"The powers will be there very shortly for the Gardaí," she said.

"This piece of legislation has taken a long time to get through the Oireachtas, it got delayed by the European Commission as well.

"We're now hoping in the next few months to see it actually brought in.

"Obviously bringing in the legislation is the first major thing that needs to be done before we can do the enforcement piece".

'Dublin is not alone'

Cllr Horner said Dublin can also look to other cities for inspiration.

"There is a huge onus now on the Gardaí, in the most part, to see what enforcement is undertaken now," she said.

"Dublin is definitely not alone in this, I think every city around the world is looking at this differently.

"Particularly when you have, for example, a child cycling to school beside somebody who is in a bike lane, if there is a bike lane there, going at 45km/hr on a bike - that does make that experience quite hostile for the child.

"In Ireland we're still at the place of trying to get that high quality cycle lane network together.

"I think we do have to look at what they are doing in other countries, in other jurisdictions and learn from that."

A person rides an e-scooter in Dublin city, 20-8-20. Image: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

Cllr Horner said she would have doubts about any voluntary system.

"I think a voluntary system [such as that in Amsterdam] is great but at the moment e-bikes should be limited to 25km/hr, in reality an awful lot of them haven't been," she said.

"So, when we rely on a voluntary system there's going to be a lot of people who will opt out.

"I think we need to be ideally moving towards a system where... we can be sure that bikes on the road are meeting the regulation that is there.

"Making sure that every bike has a speed limiter and that that speed limiter is in use," she added.

Cllr Horner there is also a big part for the delivery rider industry to play.

Main image: A person cycling in a bike lane, 16-4-19. Image: Hympi / Alamy