New York City (NYC) Council could introduce number plates and registration for e-bikes and e-scooters, through a new bill that aims to improve safety.

The development comes after 47 people were killed in e-bike crashes over the last five years, the New York Post has reported. Council member Robert Holden said the “scourge of e-bikes in our streets, on our sidewalks, and even inside buildings continues to wreak chaos, injure and maim people, and, tragically, take lives.

“We need accountability for the victims of e-bike incidents - and we need it now. This legislation is long overdue and will provide a necessary layer of oversight and responsibility for these devices.”

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The bill, named Priscilla’s Law after 69-year-old Priscilla Loke who died after being struck by an e-bike in September 2023, would mandate a registration with the state Department of Motor Vehicles and an ID number on a visible plate for every e-bike and e-scooter. It would affect Citi e-bikes and e-scooters used by food delivery drivers.

Janet Schroeder, founder of NYC E-Vehicle Safety Alliance, said: “There are 94 victims of e-vehicle violence in our group of over 1100 EVSA members. 89 of the riders who crashed into these pedestrian and cyclist victims, fled the scene. With visible licence plates these fleeing riders will more easily be tracked down.”

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Holden said the bill also holds companies accountable. “Platforms like Uber Eats and DoorDash profit from the rise of e-mobility devices, they have a responsibility to educate riders and enforce traffic laws among their users and remove repeat offenders from their platforms."

Andrew Rigie, executive director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance, however said that adding a registration fee is the city posing, "yet another financial burden on small businesses and workers.

Pointing to the fact delivery riders are already obliged to wear an ID number on their upper body and bike, he added: "The city already has a long list of requirements for restaurants that directly employ cyclists. We don’t need to double up and make things more confusing.”

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