Liverpool councillors urge u-turn on Merseyrail's non-folding e-bike ban following Cycling UK-backed protest
Posted on in Business News , Cycles News
Liverpool councillors have called on Merseyrail to reverse its decision to ban non-folding e-bikes on trains and at stations, with the policy due to come into force in January.
The ban will apply to non-folding e-bikes across Merseyrail trains, stations, car parks and cycle storage facilities, while standard bicycles, folding e-bikes and approved mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs will remain permitted.
The cross-party support follows a Cycling UK-backed protest in Liverpool earlier this month, where cyclists raised concerns about the impact of the blanket ban.
Dozens of cyclists gathered outside a Liverpool City Region transport committee meeting on 17 September before riding to Merseyrail's offices, with campaigners arguing that the ban would disproportionately affect older and disabled people and those who rely on e-bikes for longer journeys.
Cycling UK director of external affairs Steve Brooks told protesters: “On this one, Merseyrail have really, really got it wrong. We know it’s going to have a massive negative impact on so many people across Merseyside, particularly older people, disabled people and people who are struggling to make ends meet.”
“Merseyrail say they’ve got safety concerns; we’ve asked ‘show us your safety report, we’ll have a look at it and work with you to address those safety concerns.’ They’ve made this decision without any consultation or conversation and we don’t think that’s right.”
Crosby cyclist Christine Smith said: “Without getting on the train with my bike, I can’t get back from some of the longer journeys we go on,” adding: “I’m an advocate for Merseyrail, but they have got this wrong.”
Paul Allison, from the Tour de Friends cycling group, said: “I regularly cycle between Southport and Waterloo and it’s like a safety net for me. You socialise, you make friends. It’s wrong to have a blanket ban and shouldn’t have been done.”
Green Party leader councillor Tom Crone said he hoped Merseyrail would reconsider, telling the BBC: “I'd really like to see Merseyrail go back to the drawing board. Maybe train their staff to identify the right bikes that should be allowed on and bikes that are maybe a health risk.”
“I've seen so many examples of why e-bikes are an important part of the transport mix, so things like this have got unintended consequences. We really need to think it through properly and support people who want to use the trains but use [them] safely.”
Steve Foulkes, chair of the Liverpool City Region transport committee, also backed calls for further discussion, saying: “This decision does seem completely against that local transport plan policy. I think we are singing from the same hymn sheet. My view is we should talk, get round the table. It seems to me they’ve used a sledgehammer to crack a nut.”
Merseyrail has defended the ban on safety grounds, saying lithium-ion battery fires can develop quickly and pose particular risks in enclosed areas such as trains, tunnels and underground stations. A spokesperson added: “Taking these factors into account, we concluded that an e-bike ban was the most appropriate way to reduce the risk to passengers, colleagues and emergency responders.”