Riding A Thin Line: The E-Bike Divide!
- Apr 1
- 5 min read
Whooshing around on your trusty Brompton Electric or EcoE is considered illegal. But for how much longer?
Edward Szekeres reports
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Andrew Spires
Electric bikes and scooters have become a staple of the Discovery Bay community, even though their use is largely prohibited under Hong Kong's laws. We've all seen them whizzing up and down the hills at speeds few can muster on a regular bike. We've also seen the signs banning them, yet here they are – silent, quick and divisive.
Officially labelled as ‘electric mobility devices’, e-scooters, e-bicycles, e-skateboards and other similar e-vehicles are banned on roads, footpaths and most cycle tracks in Hong Kong. Under the Road Traffic Ordinance, you “may commit an offence” if you're caught riding your e-bike. And if you’ve been pulled up as an offender, you're not alone. Hong Kong police cracked down on the illegal use of e-bicycles and e-scooters last year, increasing arrests by 17% to 760, according to transport authorities.
With e-bikes currently falling under the legal definition of ‘motor vehicles’ in Hong Kong, riding an unregistered one can lead to multiple criminal charges with steep fines of up to HK$10,000 and even potential imprisonment, far exceeding the HK$500 fine you would get for recklessly riding your regular bicycle.
DB residents have reported being pulled over by police of ficers for riding their e-bikes. The clampdown, they say, has recently intensified. One resident, who asked not to be named for legal reasons, reports that an of ficer dressed in street clothes grabbed their wrist while they were riding their e-bike to work. “It seemed dangerous and excessive,” they said. The resident’s bike was confiscated, and they were escorted in a police van to the police station in Tung Chung.
“When I asked why riding my e-bike at a very slow pace in a private area, such as DB, was illegal, they did not really have an answer. I know there are strong opinions on the use of e-bikes and e-scooters in DB, but what we really need is clear regulations to avoid more dangerous incidents.”
Fines alone are unlikely to resolve the pressing issue of e-bikes and e-scooters being stuck in a legal limbo. There are no formal regulations specifically governing the use of mechanically propelled electric mobility devices which the law currently defines as motor vehicles, such as a motorbike or car. That's why the unregistered or unlicensed use of your e-bike or e-scooter may constitute an offence.
Islands District Councillor Jonathan Chow emphasises that riding e-bikes and e-scooters in DB – and across Hong Kong – is illegal under existing laws, and urges residents to refrain from breaking the law. “If you don’t want to be prosecuted, don’t do it.”
The recent spike in arrests seems to have alerted authorities to the legislative grey zone, with Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan acknowledging the urgent need for new laws to ensure public safety. Addressing the Legislative Council in February, Chan said the government plans to roll out new regulations and a code of practice for the use and safety of electric mobility devices sometime this year.
The new law – if adopted – is expected to put safety first, making it mandatory for people to wear a helmet and be at least 16 years old to ride an e-bike or e-scooter, which must be certified and identifiable with a visible QR code. Electric mobility devices will likely be allowed only in designated safe areas, such as suitable cycle tracks in new development zones, to promote a green travel option for short first- or last-mile journeys, such as to and from the MTR station.
Some lawmakers, however, have been advocating a fast-track regulated use of e-bikes and e-scooters on private roads in housing estates – an approach they argue is within the scope of existing laws.
Could this involve roads in DB? Councillor Chow points out that any changes to the law, including a potential pilot project involving DB, would have to be put forward by the Transport Department and sanctioned by the Legislative Council. A public consultation – in DB’s case, plausibly involving Hong Kong Resort Company, DB’s private developer – would likely be part of the process. “But I’m not yet aware of a timeline for that,” Chow says.
Passing new legislation could take weeks, if not months. For now, Chan has promised consultation on the proposal "to ensure that current legal definitions – and what constitutes a violation – are explicitly listed in estate notices or instructions, so that residents do not inadvertently break the law”.
While the new laws are being written behind closed doors, a public debate rages on in the streets of DB – and beyond. Supporters and opponents of e-bikes appear to be split along the fault lines of convenience versus safety.
"For families, e-bikes are more convenient than regular bikes, given how hilly DB is," says long-time DBer Anant Bakre. “[At the same time] e-bikes are heavier, quicker and take longer to brake. With the hills and valleys we have here and the lack of dedicated cycle lanes, it could lead to more accidents.”
Potential collisions also worry 10-year DB resident Kelila Liu. "DB is known as 'dogs and babies’. Fast e-bikes can be dangerous and cause chaos for the little ones," she says.
There were eight traffic accidents involving electric mobility devices across Hong Kong in 2025, up from three the year before, according to official figures from the Hong Kong Police Force, or less than 0.05% of the 16,800 injury-causing traffic accidents recorded in 2025.
During the February debate on proposed legislative changes for e-bikes, lawmakers Scott Leung Man-kwong and William Wong Kam-fai said people on electric mobility devices were frequently seen speeding through parks, housing estates and pedestrian zones, making traditional enforcement difficult to maintain.
Certainly, this is an issue for many DB residents, who worry pacy e-bikes could overrun the resort and destroy its peaceful, laid-back vibe. “I’ve finally found somewhere I can enjoy a slow life. Fast-moving things could disrupt this quiet, slow-paced environment,” says Julia Wei. “I go to Hong Kong Island for a fast-paced life. Nobody should rush in DB."
Other DBers contend that e-bikes do not pose a significant issue and emphasise their role in improving daily mobility for residents. “There are too many slopes to cycle without the assistance of the electric system. And the speed and risks of e-bikes are far less than other vehicles, like taxis,” says Monica Xu.
For residents like Jorge Barros, e-bikes could represent “part of what this place stands for, further strengthening DB as one of Hong Kong’s most unique communities and one of its best places to live. They fit naturally with the kind of DB most of us want: safe, efficient, forward-looking and less dependent on conventional transport.”
E-bike sceptics, however, often come armed with another argument that points to the hazards the devices can pose off-road. Malfunctioning batteries were the main cause of a rise in e-bike-related fire incidents, from 12 in 2024 to 17 in 2025, Chan said in February.
While lawmaker Tam Chun-kwok called the e-bike a "community bomb" and proposed banning it from lifts, Chan emphasised that product quality was the immediate priority, noting that neither European countries nor Singapore, where e-bikes are legal to various extents, have specific laws governing electric mobility devices in lifts. Chan is collaborating with the Hong Kong Productivity Council to reference practices from different regions and set up a certification system.
So where does this leave us?
DB residents who argue that careful, considerate regulation might just strike the right balance and appease both camps often unite behind one stance: that e-bikes and e-scooters should be allowed on roads but kept off cycling lanes, footpaths and other pedestrian areas.
It remains to be seen whether the promised new legislation will reach that balance. For many, however, achieving harmony should be the law's focus. "Despite the many pros and cons, I understand that for the younger generation, living in DB can be inconvenient and e-bikes could help with that," says Kelila. "Maybe we will finally find a way to balance the needs of the young and the elderly."
