New York Metropolis’s Division of Transportation has a novel concept for serving to get the most typical uncertified e-bikes off the town’s streets: let their riders swap them for a safer UL-compliant electrical bike without cost.
This system targets supply employees on e-bikes, who’re the spine of the town’s essential meals and parcel supply companies. Hundreds of thousands of individuals depend on such employees for well timed deliveries, but the low wages and brutal situations of the job have pressured many riders to hunt out low-cost electrical bicycles to carry out the work—precisely the sort of e-bikes which can be least prone to have obtained security certifications.
The NYC DOT has already begun accepting purposes for the brand new E-Bike Commerce-In Program, which is open to supply employees with non-compliant electrical bicycles in addition to the often-seen electrical scooters/mopeds that don’t actually qualify as e-bikes, regardless of their ubiquitous use within the trade.
Curiously, this system even accepts gasoline-powered mopeds that aren’t capable of be legally registered with the DMV, together with people who lack VINs.
In alternate for buying and selling in a non-certified automobile, the supply employee will obtain a brand new UL-certified electrical bike with a spare UL-certified battery.
There are a couple of necessities for eligibility. The employee has to have earned at the very least US $1,500 by working within the meals supply trade final 12 months in 2024, reside in one of many 5 New York Metropolis boroughs, be at the very least 18 years previous, and personal/use one of many eligible gadgets for trade-in.
This system is free to take part in with no further price for the supply employees. Nevertheless, the availability of free electrical bicycles is described as “restricted.”
Free e-bikes aren’t awarded on a first-come, first-served foundation. If the eligible applicant pool finally ends up exceeding the variety of free electrical bikes out there, the NYC DOT will use a lottery system to decide on program members.
These wishing to use can submit their purposes anytime earlier than the appliance window closes on March 10, 2025.
