IN BRIEF
On 8 October, Deliveroo launched its Ride Safe campaign in the United Kingdom, asking the government to ban the sale of unsafe e-bike conversion kits to the general public. These kits make it possible to exceed the legal limits on power or speed. The platform is also announcing a tool to detect abnormal speeds and will remove access for riders if the problem persists or if they have knowingly registered a different vehicle. TfL, London’s fire brigade and the GMB union back the move.
The food delivery platform is tackling a problem the British capital knows well: bikes turned into machines that are too fast, and sometimes into a fire risk. With its Ride Safe campaign, presented in London on 8 October, Deliveroo is taking the demand all the way to the government.
Conversion kits: what Deliveroo wants banned
Deliveroo is asking the government to ban the sale to the general public of conversion kits deemed unsafe. The press release describes them: they fit a bike with a motor and battery that exceed the legal limits on power or speed, or with a twist-grip throttle that moves the bike without pedalling, a form that is not allowed. The platform stresses that they are easy to find online as well as in shops.
Paul Bedford, Policy & Sustainability Director at Deliveroo, explains the approach:
“We’re calling on the Government to go one step further and stop this problem at its source, because anyone can buy these kits, fit them to any bike, and put themselves and others at risk.”
Paul Bedford of Deliveroo
He adds that the industry has a responsibility to set the example on e-bike safety.
Riders flagged by their speed
The platform is not just calling for a law. The press release announces speed-measuring technology, designed to spot riders who sustain speeds that a bike, or a compliant e-bike, could not reasonably reach. Deliveroo will then contact the rider about their vehicle, and will remove their access to the platform if the problem persists, or if they have knowingly registered a vehicle other than their own.
To offer a legal alternative, Deliveroo cites its partnerships with PORT, Zoomo, Otto Scooters and Eskuta, which provide access to compliant vehicles at affordable prices. The platform states that every rider also receives road safety guidance when signing up, including advice specific to e-bikes.
Firefighters, TfL and union in support
The campaign is backed by MP Siobhan McDonagh, Transport for London (TfL), the London Fire Brigade, the GMB union and PORT Bikes. Richard Field, Assistant Commissioner at the London Fire Brigade, points out that “Our firefighters are regularly attending very dangerous fires caused by converted push bikes”. Radio station LBC reports that the brigade recorded 171 e-bike fires last year.
For Martin Wills of the GMB union, “No rider should have to worry that a cheap, illegal conversion kit could turn their bike into a fire risk”. James Willson, Head of Expansion & Partnerships at PORT, believes that getting these kits off the market would be “the single biggest step we could take to protect all e-bike users, pedestrians, and communities”.
At this stage, this is a request made to the British government: the 8 October press release does not mention any decision on its part.
