Illegal e-bike user found guilty and fined

A man caught using an illegal e-bike has been found guilty of driving with no licence and no insurance.

Darius Dovidas, 41, of Ilford, was stopped by officers from the City of London Police’s cycle team when he was spotted riding an illegal e-bike on 12 August 2024.

This is the second time within six months that Dovidas had been caught riding an illegal electronically assisted pedal cycle (EAPC).

He was first stopped on Queen Victoria Street on 16 February 2024, where officers seized his illegal EAPC. The bike had a 1900-watt motor and was shown to be capable of speeds up to 73mph without a person on the bike.

It was deemed a mechanically propelled vehicle, not an EAPC, and was seized under s165 of the Road Traffic Act for not having valid insurance.

The bike was confiscated and Dovidas was issued with a warning.

He was caught riding a very similar illegal EAPC on 12 August, and as he had already received a warning for his first offence in February, he was then summonsed to court for driving with no licence and no insurance.

Sergeant Stu Ford, cycle team lead at the City of London Police, said:

“Since the formation of the cycle team last summer, almost 400 illegal e-bikes and e-scooors have been seized, that’s more than any other police force in the country.

“The continued hard work of our officers in taking these illegal e-bikes off the streets shows our commitment to reducing anti-social behaviour by road users for the benefit of those that live, work and visit the Square Mile.

“We’ve had members of the public voicing their concerns to us about these vehicles. Some people have told us that they have nearly been hit and have seen riders mount pavements and run through red lights.

“Pedestrians are also road users and are in fact the most vulnerable road users, and we will continue our work in keeping everyone safe.”

Dovidas appeared at City of London Magistrates’ Court where he was also fined £660, ordered to pay a surcharge of £352 and had six points added to his driving licence.

E-bikes seized by the City of London Police have been modified and illegally converted to have a motor greater than 250 watt and include a throttle that means the rider no longer needs to propel the pedals to trigger the power assistance. Legal e-bikes are not permitted to exceed 15.5mph and the motor will cut out if the maximum speed is hit.