Insurance market 'competitive after e-bikes halt'

Deputy Elaine Millar said she was confident the insurance market was still competitive

Ministers are hopeful an electric bike company will start operating in Jersey again after it stopped because of insurance problems.

Sustainable transport company Evie turned off its electric bike fleet at the weekend after its insurer "unexpectedly" withdrew from the Jersey market.

It said the "turbulent" insurance market in the Channel Islands made operating the fleet "impossible".

Politicians have stopped short of offering to help, but Deputy Elaine Millar, who has responsibility for financial services, said she was confident the insurance market was still competitive.

She said: "We recognise that many islanders will be disappointed that the Evie bikes have been withdrawn from use.

“We are confident that there remains a competitive insurance market and hope that it will be possible for the bikes to be re-introduced in the near future.”

Evie said it has made "significant progress" securing a new insurer and it hoped to relaunch its electric yellow bikes soon.

The company said it was given 10 days' notice to secure replacement insurance cover.