Brendon Poh, proprietor of the independent bicycle store Cycle Craft located in Parsippany, New Jersey, expressed his concerns about a proposed bill that would necessitate e-bikes to be registered and insured like automobiles. In an opinion piece dated March 22, he argued that the proposed legislation offers no benefits and has numerous drawbacks.
"This flawed bill has nothing to do with safety or equity," said Brendan Poh. "If it passes, personal injury attorneys will get richer, but at what cost? Fewer people will be riding bikes, traffic and air quality will worsen, workers will have less money, food and other delivery services will cost more, and the number of fatalities will increase with more cars on the roads. What a trade-off."
The contentious bill was introduced by State Senate President Nicholas Scutari. It mandates low-speed e-bikes and electric scooters to be insured and registered with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, as per a copy of the bill. The legislation would apply to class 1 and class 2 low-speed e-bikes, which do not exceed speeds of 20 mph.
In his opinion piece, Poh claimed that the only beneficiaries of this bill would be trial lawyers. He suggested that the legislation paves the way for a new category of lawsuits pertaining to minor accidents involving low-speed e-bikes. While personal injury firms stand to gain a new revenue stream from such cases, Poh questioned whether this is what New Jersey truly needs.
Poh further criticized the bill for its potential difficulty in enforcement and its burden on taxpayers. He pointed out in his article that even though the insurance industry stands to gain thousands of new customers from this bill, it opposes it due to the lack of existing insurance products that would fulfill the mandate set by this legislation. "Yes, we’ve reached a rare moment when insurance executives and bike riders are totally aligned — the sheer unfairness of this bill is bringing everyone together," he stated. Furthermore, Poh emphasized that the financial burdens imposed by this bill could particularly impact low-income individuals who depend on e-bikes as an affordable means of transportation.
According to Velotric, e-bikes offer several advantages for delivery workers employed by companies such as DoorDash and Grubhub. E-bikes are less costly than cars; they require less maintenance, no expenditure on gas, and eliminate the need to pay for parking.
Poh started his tenure at Cycle Craft in 1994 and now co-owns the business with his wife, as stated on Cycle Craft’s website. He holds bicycle technician certifications from multiple institutions, including the United Bicycle Institute. Cycle Craft provides a range of bicycles for sale, along with services such as bike rentals and repairs.