Want China Times
Date: 2015-09-22
By: CNA and Staff Reporter
Electric bicycles will not be allowed on sidewalks and bike lanes in Taipei from Oct. 1
An electric bicycle. (File photo/Kuo Wen-cheng)
because of their relatively high speed compared with normal bikes, the city’s Department of Transportation said Monday.
Electric bicycle riders will have to use slow traffic lanes or stay on the right side of roads, the department said, but they will be allowed to use riverside bikeways.
Violators will be subject to fines of NT$300-$600 (US$9-$18), traffic officials said.
Electric bike riders can travel at a maximum speed of 25 kilometers per hour, posing a danger to the pedestrians and regular bikers who currently share the same spaces with them, the department said.
Taipei is the first municipality in Taiwan to adopt the ban following an increase in traffic accidents caused by electric bikes.
According to the National Police Agency, the number of people riding electric bikes killed in traffic accidents was two, four and six in 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively, and the number of people injured totaled 744, 1,122 and 1,455 over those three years. [FULL STORY]
