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Bite the dust: Food-delivery services could face uphill battle if new e-bike mandates pass City Hall

Bite the dust: Food-delivery services could face uphill battle if new e-bike mandates pass City Hall

The City Council passed a suite of bills aimed at making e-bikes safer, including one banning the sale of reconstituted batteries. File Photo by Dean…

Thursday, Feb 06

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The City Council passed a suite of bills aimed at making e-bikes safer, including one banning the sale of reconstituted batteries. File Photo by Dean Moses

New Yorkers who are tired of reckless e-bike drivers might get some relief if a new bill introduced last week passes through the City Council.

Mayor Eric Adams gave a proposal to the 51-member council to hold third-party delivery companies responsible for the safe use of micromobility devices—like e-bikes—by their workers. Get amNY in your inbox!

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If passed into law, the proposal would make it harder for food-delivery services such as Uber Eats, GrubHub and many others to operate in the city without a license. The city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) would issue the licenses. A driver’s ed course for e-bike riders

It would also mandate that delivery companies adhere to safety regulations that protect pedestrians and drivers in order to do business in NYC. These safety measures include ensuring that drivers use safe devices and certified batteries, follow traffic rules, and complete safety training.

To help enforce the law, companies would assign each bicycle operator an ID number and an ID card that shows the name and other information about the business they work for.The mayor’s office said the bill introduces “a new approach” to regulating these tiny but mighty e-devices into the controversial conversation.“New Yorkers should not have to worry about e-bikes and mopeds speeding down our sidewalks or running red lights on our streets as […]

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