Reckless electric bikes enter the path of vehicles and confuse drivers

Individuals and drivers in Dubai have complained about people riding modified electric bikes at speeds of up to about 120 kilometers per hour, expressing their concern about using them on public roads, in parks, recreational areas, and residential neighborhoods, which exposes them and other road users to serious risks, especially in crowded areas and shared paths with other vehicles.

They called for the need to tighten supervision, increase penalties, and raise the value of fines for violating electric bike drivers, especially those who drive at high speeds or in undesignated places.

Emirates Today monitored advertisements spread on social media platforms promoting the sale of electric bicycles, the specifications of which indicate their ability to reach speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour, which raised the concerns of a number of individuals and drivers about the extent of the danger of using this type of bicycle, especially when riding on public roads or shared paths, because of the threat it may pose to the safety of road users in the event of non-compliance with the approved controls and speeds.

The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority confirmed to Emirates Today that the electric bicycles allowed to be used on bicycle paths are those with two wheels or more, equipped with an electric motor or powered by the cyclist’s momentum, and their sizes are similar to traditional bicycles, and the maximum speed must be proportionate to the speeds announced and specified on the information signs and ground markings along the paths.

She indicated that it is possible to ride three types of bicycles without a license, which are “electric bicycles, bicycles, and electric scooters,” while adhering to the specified speed for the scooter, which does not exceed 20 km/hour on internal streets, and may reach 30 km/hour in the designated areas in Nad Al Sheba and Meydan, while the endurance tracks for bicycles are allowed to speed without restrictions.

The authority reported that it carried out 64 field visits to areas such as Jumeirah Beach, the Water Canal, and Khalid bin Al Waleed Street, during which it met more than 7,000 users and informed them of safety rules. It also published awareness advertisements that benefited about 70,000 users annually.

In detail, driver Ahmed Salem said that driving some electric bikes at high speeds, reaching dangerous levels that sometimes exceed 120 kilometers per hour, has begun to confuse road users. He explained that their entry into car paths constitutes a direct threat to traffic safety, calling for allocating independent and clear paths for electric bikes to prevent their interference with vehicles.

For his part, Muhammad Hassan (a father of three children) expressed his concern about the use of electric bicycles at high speeds inside public parks and entertainment places, stressing that this behavior exposes children and pedestrians to danger, saying: “I see electric bicycles passing quickly between children without any care, which is unacceptable and requires stricter supervision to protect our children and protect the users of these bicycles.”

Driver Salem Ali stressed the need to adhere to designated paths and not use pedestrian paths or roads designated for cars, pointing out that the biggest problem does not lie in the electric bikes themselves, but rather in the behavior of some of their drivers, calling for more stringent regulation to keep pace with their increasing spread.

Driver Khaled Abdullah called for the need to increase penalties and raise the value of fines for violating electric bike drivers, especially those who drive at high speeds or in undesignated places, considering that deterrent penalties represent an essential step to protect lives and reduce dangerous behavior on roads and public places.

For his part, Director of the Vehicle Licensing Department at the Licensing Institution at the Roads and Transport Authority, Qais Al-Farsi, explained that electric bicycles allowed for use on designated paths have two or more wheels, are equipped with an electric motor, and run by the power of the electric motor or the cyclist’s momentum, and their dimensions are relatively similar in size to a bicycle, and the maximum speed of the bicycle must be proportional to the speeds announced by the Authority and available on the information signs and ground markings along the paths.

He told «Emirates Today» that according to Executive Council Resolution No. 13/2022 regarding regulating the use of bicycles in the Emirate of Dubai, the legislation specified three types of bicycles that can be driven without a license, which are “electric bicycle, bicycle, and electric scooter” or any other type determined by the authority, calling on individuals to read the legislation on the authority’s website to view the technical specifications for these types and the requirements for driving on bicycle paths and to obtain a driving permit according to what is mentioned in the legislation in order to avoid violations.

In response to a question: “If this high-speed category is not permitted, does the Authority have future plans to grant special licenses for its use?” He said: “The Roads and Transport Authority relies on an annual plan to educate users of bicycles and electric scooters within the community groups it targets based on the traffic safety strategy in Dubai and the goals and objectives of the Roads and Transport Authority, with the aim of educating users of electric bicycles about traffic safety requirements, the most important of which is adherence to the specified speed for scooters, which must not exceed 20 kilometers per hour on internal streets. In Dubai, such as the Safa, Jumeirah and Deira areas, it may reach 30 kilometers in the designated areas in Nad Al Sheba and Meydan, and there is the Al Qudra Cycling Track where speed is allowed without restrictions.

He continued: “64 field visits were carried out in the targeted areas in the Emirate of Dubai, most notably the Jumeirah Beach area, the Water Canal, and Khalid Bin Al Waleed Street, during which more than 7,000 users were met and informed of all the rules and requirements related to safety through scanning (QR code) an electronic page on the Authority’s website containing all instructions and requirements. More than four awareness films directed at users of bicycles and electric scooters were also published on the Authority’s social media outlets. See them. Thousands of visitors, in addition to publishing awareness advertisements dedicated to this category, benefiting about 70,000 users per year.”

He stressed that the Roads and Transport Authority is working to provide the highest safety standards when implementing bicycle paths in the Emirate of Dubai, by providing safe paths designated for riders and connected to the most important points of attraction and public transport stations, while providing ground markings and directional signs explaining driving requirements. The Authority also implements field awareness campaigns to educate the public about the most important of these requirements and corrective measures for the most frequent negative practices. The Dubai Police General Command works to arrest and fine those who do not comply according to the specifications of the legislation.

33 deaths and 458 injuries

Dubai Police statistics revealed a significant increase in violations and accidents of electric bicycles, scooters, and bicycles during the last three years (2022-2024), as it resulted in the recording of about 33 deaths and the injury of about 458 people, including 33 serious injuries, 239 moderate injuries, and 186 minor injuries, in addition to issuing about 25,164 traffic violations and impounding 13,288 scooters and bicycles. And electric, which reflects the urgent need to enhance awareness and commitment to traffic safety procedures.

During the past year, 2025 alone, the unsafe use of scooters during the first five months led to four deaths being recorded, most of them in areas with high traffic density, while Dubai Police seized 15,029 scooters, and teenagers were caught riding modified electric bikes at speeds exceeding 100 kilometers per hour on running paths in a number of areas, with 101 bikes seized and 130 violations issued within a week, followed by the confiscation of 210 other bikes and scooters. 271 tickets were issued for reckless driving, and at the end of the year, the Dubai Police General Command, represented by the General Department of Criminal Investigation and Investigation, arrested 90 people, confiscated their electric bikes, and took the necessary legal measures against them, after they were involved in riding electric bikes on the sports tracks in the Kite Beach area and on the lanes designated for “scooters,” which is considered a clear and dangerous violation that threatens the safety of others, especially since some bikes exceed the speed of 120. Kilometers per hour.

Dubai Police confirmed that what these people did is a clear disregard for the lives of others and a violation of their safety, adding that it will not be lenient in applying penalties and taking the necessary measures against anyone who violates the law and safety procedures.

A fine of 300 dirhams

The fine for riding an electric or bicycle on a road where the speed limit exceeds 60 kilometers per hour is 300 dirhams, the fine for riding a bicycle in a way that poses a danger to the rider or the life and safety of others is 300 dirhams, the fine for carrying a passenger on an electric scooter is 300 dirhams, the fine for carrying a passenger on a bicycle or electric bicycle that does not have the necessary equipment for that is 200 dirhams, and the traffic violation. By electric or bicycle against the direction of traffic, 200 dirhams.

• 64 field visits carried out by the Roads Authority in the streets of Dubai, and awareness advertisements for 70,000 users annually.

Drivers and individuals:

• The entry of electric bicycles into car paths constitutes a direct threat to traffic safety, and they must be allocated separate and clear paths to prevent their interference with vehicles.

• The biggest problem does not lie in the electric bikes themselves, but in the behavior of some of their riders, and there must be stricter regulation to keep pace with their increasing spread.