Birmingham City Council and partners have carried out a major enforcement operation targeting illegally modified e-bikes in Birmingham city centre.
This is part of ongoing efforts to keep the area safe for all who live, work, and visit.
Last week, 16 e-bikes were seized during a pre-planned multi-agency operation. Riders were issued with fines after officers discovered the bikes had been illegally upgraded to reach speeds of up to 40mph — far beyond the legal limits for electrically assisted pedal cycles (EAPCs). All seized bikes will now be crushed.
The operation is part of a wider response to increasing reports from residents, visitors, businesses, and professionals who live, work, and travel through the city centre. Complaints have included dangerous and inconsiderate riding, near misses with pedestrians, and collisions that have caused alarm and distress — particularly for vulnerable road users.
The action was carried out in partnership with the Birmingham Community Safety Partnership and West Midlands Police – including officers from Operation Fearless, the Road Harm Prevention Team, and Safer Travel – alongside British Transport Police, Immigration Enforcement, Paradise Security, and the Central and Colmore Business Improvement Districts.
Plain clothes and uniformed officers worked together to stop and inspect riders, checking the legality of their bikes and verifying rider status where appropriate. Immigration checks led to three arrests for immigration offences.
This is the latest in a series of planned operations focused on improving public safety and tackling the growing concerns from businesses, residents, and vulnerable groups around the dangerous and antisocial use of high-powered e-bikes.
Councillor Jamie Tennant, Cabinet Member for Social Justice, Community Safety and Equalities, said:
“Operation Frislen is the outcome of continuing work between Birmingham City Council and West Midlands Police about safety concerns around the use of e-bikes and other propelled transport in highly pedestrianised areas.
“We hope our recent collective intervention will not only take dangerous, untaxed and uninsured e-bikes off the street, but also provide valuable insight into the scale of the problem. This will enable all partners to identify further activities and actions that will reduce risks to the public.”
Inspector Scott Taylor from West Midlands Police added: “Dangerous e-bike use has become a major problem in the city centre – partners, businesses and pedestrians are telling us they feel it’s only a matter of time before someone is killed or seriously injured.
“We’ve been working alongside city centre businesses, including takeaways, delivery companies, the Central Business Improvement District and the city council in recent weeks.
“We’ve been out educating riders on the law and the impact dangerous riding is having on the city centre, and tonight’s operation has seen us step it up a gear and take firm action against those flouting the rules.
“We’d urge anyone who rides an e-bike for work or pleasure in the city centre to make sure they their bike is legal.
“We’ll be taking more action over the coming weeks, so anyone who ignores the law may well find their bike is seized and they are issued with a fine or are given a court date.”
This operation is part of Birmingham’s wider commitment to making the city centre cleaner, safer, and more accessible to all. Further days of action are planned in the weeks ahead.
E-bikes and the law
To legally ride an e-bike (known as an EAPC – Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle), it must:
- Have pedals that can be used to propel it,
- Use an electric motor with a maximum power output of 250 watts,
- Not assist when travelling more than 15.5mph.
If an e-bike is modified beyond these limits, it is classed as a motor vehicle. That means it must be registered, taxed, insured, and the rider must have a valid licence. It also cannot be used on cycle paths or public roads unless compliant.
Learn more: Riding an electric bike: the rules – GOV.UK
