The Jerusalem Police Department has been cracking down on electric bicycle riders who are breaking the rules of the road. As part of the ongoing  war to curb the number of motor vehicle accidents (MVA) in the city, the police have recently been enforcing road rules and fining cyclists of electric bikes fro breaking the law.

According to the police, these cyclists endanger their lives and the lives of others when breaking the law. In particular, police have been cracking down on cyclists using the path of the light rail fro cycling and thus endangering the riders of the public transportation system.

Police have been fining cyclists during weekly blitzes of enforcement for traffic violations such as: running a red light, driving between two passing trains, not giving the right of way to pedestrians, ignoring road signs, and lacking the proper safety equipment for cycling including helmets.

In addition to fines, Police have been giving cyclists tips  on how to ride more safely and removing the air from the tires of the bicycles on which the cyclists ride.

Since the beginning of 2017, more than 400 tickets have been given out to riders of electric bicycles who have committed road infractions. Among them, more than 30 percent have been deemed life threatening violations.

The Jerusalem Police Spokesperson’s department said: “We will continue to maintain a level of heightened enforcement against those who choose not to follow the laws of the road.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)