Environment president wants to lower e-bike age

In Guernsey you have to be 14 or older to ride an electronic bike

The president of Guernsey's Environment and Infrastructure Committee says he wants to see the age children can ride electric bikes (e-bikes) on the roads lowered.

Currently, the minimum legal age to ride an e-bike is 14 years old.

Deputy Adrian Gabriel said he would like to see it lowered to either 12 years old, or the age at which children go to secondary school.

It follows a warning from Guernsey Police about underage people using the bikes.

Gabriel made the admission following a question from his predecessor, Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez.

Policy and Resources President de Sausmarez said she had "noticed a very significant increase in bikes at schools, the island generally and one of the big game changers has been e-bikes".

"They've absolutely revolutionised a school run near me and I would like to understand the President's views about whether the committee might be minded to explore whether the age limit for e-bikes might be varied," she said.

She described the current rules as "a bit of an anachronism".

In reply, Gabriel said: "I can't speak for the committee as a whole because we haven't discussed it, but it's my personal view that revision of the e-bike legal age and a lowering to either 12 or maybe even entry level to secondary school would be sufficient.

"It could be a change by statutory instrument, I understand, to the 2026 amendment to the 2002 law, but I will take it back and discuss with committee."