Riders will need to be licensed, insured … and helmeted, by October 31
Statement by Owen Darrell, Minister of Tourism & Transport, Culture & Sport:
I want to start with something simple: the law you will hear about today is not new. The Auxiliary Bicycles Act has governed two- and three-wheeled motorized vehicles on Bermuda’s roads since 1954 and, as written, has always applied to electrically propelled machines.
What is changing, starting today, is that Government is drawing a clear, public line under that law . . . telling every e-bike owner in Bermuda exactly what is required, giving them a fair and well-supported window to meet those requirements, and making sure that window has a firm end date.
Why now? Because the number of e-bikes on our roads has grown far faster than most of us expected, and the consequences of that growth are no longer hypothetical.
This year, we have seen reports of a young rider travelling at more than twice the posted speed limit. We have also seen a 71-year-old Bermudian hospitalized after being struck by an e-bike ridden by a 15year-old.
These are not abstract statistics. They are our neighbours, our elders, and our children, sharing narrow roads with machines that can now move as fast as a car.
Every requirement I am about to describe exists for one reason: to make sure that the people riding these machines, and the people sharing the road with them, come home safely.
So, what does the law require?
Four things, in plain terms.
First, every e-bike intended to be ridden on Bermuda’s roads must be registered and licensed with the Transport Control Department . . . the machine itself, not just the rider.
Second, every rider must hold the appropriate licence for their vehicle.
Third, every e-bike must carry valid third-party insurance, at a minimum, just like any other motorized vehicle on our roads.
And fourth, every rider must wear a proper, certified helmet, every time.
I know that for many families and many riders, this will mean a trip to TCD that you were not expecting to make. So let me tell you what we are doing to make that process as easy as possible.
Persons who own E-bikes who want to legally operate their machines on public roads have until October 31st, 2026, to take the necessary steps to make them roadworthy. We are opening a compliance window during which TCD will offer inspections and registration on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., starting on Saturday, September 26th.
We are also working directly with local insurers to expand the products available for e-bikes, so that a valid insurance certificate is something every legitimate rider can obtain.
My ask of every e-bike owner in Bermuda is straightforward: use this window.
Come in. Get your machine inspected. Get it insured. Get it registered.
Get properly licensed.
This time period does not make illegal operation lawful. It does not apply to underage riders, nor does it permit the operation of an unlicensed or uninsured vehicle.
Our goal over these seven weeks is compliance, not confrontation. We would much rather spend September and October helping people get right with the law than spend November responding to the alternative.
I want to thank the Road Safety Council for its partnership on public education; our colleagues at TCD for the work already underway to open capacity for this surge in registrations; and the insurers working with us in good faith to close the coverage gap.
For more information on how your E-bike can become compliant, please go to tcd.bm.
I will now hand things over to the Bermuda Police Service, who will speak to how these requirements will be enforced from the end of October.
Thank you.
