China: E-Bikers will need driving license

[CrazyCarl]

BAN THE PLANET! BAN THE PLANET!

Not sure about the rest of China but when I arrived in Chengdu, bicycles required a kind of license plate. If you didn't have one, the traffic ladies could issue some sort of citation.

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[chinabiker]

Now, only a few weeks after announcing the new rule, apparently it has been dismissed again Did the 2000 strong e-bike manufacturer lobby take influence

Here is the read.

[CrazyCarl]

...demanding the suspension of the news rules for bicycles with battery-powered motors, on grounds "it is a booming industry and more time is needed for the policy-making process."

Well I guess there's still milk in the cow and not TOO many people are dying on them right?

The SAC said it wants a faster creation of new national standards for electric bicycles, instead of counting the bigger models as light motorbikes.

The standards are being drawn up by the bicycle association.

Bicycle association? Silly me, I thought when you added a motor to a vechicle, it became a "Motor Vehicle".

Oh well... TIC!


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[ZMC888]

In my opinion this is good news.....why?

This is because in China any vehicle that isn't a car is seen as an irritant by the wealthy car driving elite.

Lots of e-bikes and less motorcycles, but more and more bigger displacement recreational motorcycles pushes the Chinese finger of blame towards the e-bikes and away from motorcycles, as there are fewer motorcycles, and are not considered a threat to the car industry or car drivers.

If a regular e-bikes needed registration then the only way for a city to rid itself of them is to ban motorcycles too, throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

[chinabiker]

Another article on the e-bike issue.

"Those who insist on using illegal electric bicycles and are actively defending their illegal behavior, regardless of other people's safety and are extremely selfish."

[CrazyCarl]

Hey...An chuan di yi Andy! An chuan di yi!

Looks to be an interesting debate. My question is, if there were regulations since 1999 limiting the weight and speed of ebikes, how is it they were totally disregarded for the past 6-7 years???

The current General Technical Requirements for Electric Bicycles, which was formulated in 1999, stipulates that electric bicycles travel at no more than 20 kph and weigh no more than 40 kg.

Oh well!

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[ZMC888]

Yes, according to every Chinese car driver and taxi driver the pesky electric bike should be banned (especially when they don't set stuck in long traffic queues at lights, who me? frustrated and blaming others? hmm, sour grapes stuck in my black Santana going nowhere?!) But strangely according to every Chinese e-bike rider they shouldn't be banned, hmm.

Oh, so e-bikes are dangerous and unlicensed? Well when we sit down and figure out who really passed their car driving test without cheating, who has had their vehicle government inspected, who has insurance, a license, who actually follows the rules as they are written!

Actually from the accidents I've seen recently (not a scientific study) most of them involve cars, because cars are too wide to avoid stuff and the drivers too incompetent, few with e-bikes, despite there being lots of e-bikes. Also injury in accidents under 40kmh and even less injury under 20kmh are usually fairly minor.

"Imagine you are riding a bicycle at 10 kph. (even though most go along at 15kmh). Do you feel safe if other cyclists ride their bicycles several times faster than you?" he asked.

Well yes I do, because I regularly ride at 20kmh, the same speed as e-bikes, the difference is I'm pedaling, they're not!

"Those who insist on using illegal electric bicycles and are actively defending their illegal behavior, regardless of other people's safety and are extremely selfish."

It is extremely selfish and illegal not to drive a car and be frustrated and stuck at traffic lights, not to mention unfair he meant to say, how dare something I regard as lower status get from A to B quicker than me! (Smashes fist onto desk angrily). How can I justify banning something I don't like, he asked himself, ahhh, the 'safety argument' genius.......

When China finally sees sense and bans the car, the roads will finally be safer and less congested! yippee!

[chinabiker]

Hey...An chuan di yi Andy! An chuan di yi!

Looks to be an interesting debate. My question is, if there were regulations since 1999 limiting the weight and speed of ebikes, how is it they were totally disregarded for the past 6-7 years???

The regulation is in place since 1999 and it was (still is) up to the province or city on how to enforce it - all according to the DVDR *) principle

When e-bike sales started to boom some years ago, this debate came up already. At that time they simply wanted to ban all of the electric bicycles and motorbikes but the manufacturer lobby prevented it.
Beijing city has started to issue plates after that for the electric motor bikes (the ones above 40kgs or 20 km/h). I am not sure if they need insurance but some guy told me that you'd theoretically need the "F" license (small motorbikes) to ride one. In fact, you see thousands of e-motos with plates in the streets of Beijing.

For my believe they don't want to destroy or harm this industry but create more stringent and meaningful rules for the future of the e-moto, which I think is a bright one in China.


*) DVDR = Different Village, Different Rules

[chinabiker]

Yes, according to every Chinese car driver and taxi driver the pesky electric bike should be banned (especially when they don't set stuck in long traffic queues at lights, who me? frustrated and blaming others? hmm, sour grapes stuck in my black Santana going nowhere?!) But strangely according to every Chinese e-bike rider they shouldn't be banned, hmm.

Oh, so e-bikes are dangerous and unlicensed? Well when we sit down and figure out who really passed their car driving test without cheating, who has had their vehicle government inspected, who has insurance, a license, who actually follows the rules as they are written!

It is extremely selfish and illegal not to drive a car and be frustrated and stuck at traffic lights, not to mention unfair he meant to say, how dare something I regard as lower status get from A to B quicker than me! (Smashes fist onto desk angrily). How can I justify banning something I don't like, he asked himself, ahhh, the 'safety argument' genius.....

Why do you hate cars that much

Actually from the accidents I've seen recently (not a scientific study) most of them involve cars, because cars are too wide to avoid stuff and the drivers too incompetent, few with e-bikes, despite there being lots of e-bikes. Also injury in accidents under 40kmh and even less injury under 20kmh are usually fairly minor.

Well yes I do, because I regularly ride at 20kmh, the same speed as e-bikes, the difference is I'm pedaling, they're not!

You can die from falling off a bike at walking pace and you can walk away unharmed from a 80 kph head on crash, it's not the rule though but largely depending on proper gear / seatbelt and luck.

When China finally sees sense and bans the car, the roads will finally be safer and less congested! yippee!

The demand for mobility and dependency on cars went too far to ever ban cars, so that remains wishful (?) thinking.

P.S. not that I want to tease you

[ZMC888]

Why do you hate cars that much

Because they suck! I've been driven to near nervous breakdown levels of frustration stuck in traffic, I hate that so much. Plus I've had a few friends killed by poorly trained car drivers.

Most car drivers are not very good, yet they often think that they are wonderful drivers, regardless of the country, and have nothing left to learn and cannot be taught anything new. Experienced motorcyclists however realize how much they don't know. For example I'd love to have instructors each more me motocross and track riding.

The demand for mobility and dependency on cars went too far to ever ban cars, so that remains wishful (?) thinking.

Yes wishful thinking....but you seem in favor of cars so much, maybe you own and drive one...?

Well I'm a car hater, I admit it!

Except when they are on racetracks and are rear wheel drive and have over 200KW of power, in which case cars kick ass!