Lahore's electric bike

E-Bikes will pose a safety risk faster than they can help us get a clean environment in the absence of regulations. Electric bikes are becoming a familiar sight on its roads, driven by rising fuel prices, expanding food-delivery services and the Punjab government's ambition to promote cleaner, more sustainable transport.

The city is embracing electric bikes much faster than it is preparing for their safe integration into public life. While policymakers celebrate cleaner transport, little attention has been paid to the people most at risk from this transformation - pedestrians, schoolchildren, older citizens and persons with disabilities.

Anyone who regularly walks through Gulberg, Liberty, DHA, Johar Town, Anarkali or the Mall Road has witnessed the problem. Electric bikes, many operated by delivery riders racing against digital timers, frequently mount footpaths to bypass traffic, ignore pedestrian crossings and weave through crowded commercial areas. What was once the domain of motorcycles is now being replicated by quieter, faster electric vehicles.

Their silence is precisely what makes them more dangerous. Unlike conventional motorcycles, electric bikes approach almost noiselessly. A pedestrian crossing a service lane or stepping off a curb often has little warning before an e-bike is upon them. For elderly citizens or visually impaired pedestrians, those few seconds can make the difference between safety and serious injury.

Lahore has spent years trying to make its roads safer through the Safe City Authority's surveillance systems, stricter traffic enforcement and infrastructure improvements. Yet a significant gap remains. There are still no comprehensive regulations governing the operation of electric bikes, particularly those used for commercial deliveries or potential future bike-sharing schemes.

The issue is not electric bikes themselves. They are an important part of Pakistan's clean-energy future. The problem is the assumption that new technology can simply be introduced into an old regulatory framework without consequences.

The Punjab government should act before the problem becomes entrenched. First, every commercial electric bike rider should undergo mandatory registration linked to a verified identity and complete a basic road safety certification. A rider operating a vehicle capable of significant speed in dense urban traffic should understand traffic laws, pedestrian rights and safe operating practices.

Second, delivery companies using electric bikes should be required to provide third-party liability insurance for their riders. Victims of road accidents should not be left pursuing lengthy legal battles simply to recover medical expenses. Compensation mechanisms should be automatic, transparent and enforceable.

Third, Lahore needs designated parking and operating rules for electric bikes. Strict penalties should apply to riders who obstruct accessibility ramps, pedestrian crossings or public walkways.

Fourth, enforcement must match policy. Lahore's extensive Safe City camera network already monitors traffic violations across major corridors. The same technology could help identify dangerous riding behaviour, repeated offenders and commercial operators who fail to comply with safety requirements.

The city should also invest in public awareness. Riding an electric bike is not simply a cleaner version of riding a motorcycle. Its instant acceleration, silent operation and growing popularity require a culture of responsible riding that begins with education rather than punishment.

Lahore often prides itself on being Pakistan's trendsetter. Whether introducing mass transit, digitising governance or experimenting with environmental initiatives, the city has shown that innovation is possible when political will exists. Electric mobility deserves the same thoughtful approach.

A cleaner city should also be a safer one. Reducing emissions cannot come at the expense of pedestrian safety. A transport policy that encourages electric bikes while ignoring regulation merely shifts one urban problem into another. Lahore has an opportunity to become a national model for sustainable mobility - not just by promoting electric vehicles, but by ensuring they coexist safely with everyone who shares its streets.