On the Road

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Q: I was thinking about buying one of the new electrical-assisted bicycles to get around rather than always using my car. Are there any traffic laws that I need to know before I buy one?

A: For the most part, two wheels, handle bars, pedals and a quasi-uncomfortable seat usually means a bicycle. But what happens when an engine is added? And not just any engine, an electric engine, albeit with less power than those customarily attached to a motorcycle?

Certainly there will be some staring as these odd-looking contraptions scoot along the roadway with little or no pedaling, but there will also be confusion as to the legality of this device. Is it a bicycle, motorcycle, motor vehicle of sorts?

Power-assisted bicycles, also known as electric or e-bikes, are one of the latest vehicles permitted on Ontario roads. These vehicles are simply bicycles with an electric engine attached that takes over powering the machine once the rider pedals a short distance. Not to underestimate the onboard power, these e-bikes can maintain a speed up to 32 kilometres an hour with little or no pedaling from the rider.

Ontario's Ministry of Transportation agreed to a three-year pilot project for e-bikes, which began in October 2006. Not to be confused with the long established Moped (motor-assisted bicycle) that requires a driver's licence and licence plates in order to be legally operated on a highway, e-bike riders must comply with two Highway Traffic Act requirements during this three-year pilot stage. The first requires all riders to be older than 16 and the second requires the rider to wear an approved bicycle helmet.

During this trial stage, and unlike Moped riders, e-bike riders are not required to have a licence nor do they have to pass any written tests. The e-bike does not have to be registered with the ministry, therefore a licence plate is not issued and the owner or rider is not required to have insurance. At the end of the three-year pilot period, the ministry will determine if testing and licensing are necessary for these vehicles.

The ministry has made one stipulation though with respect to the e-bike itself. It must be a certified e-bike so buyers should have the sales person point out the certification label on the bike before purchasing.