Guardian columnist Peter Walker argues that much of the debate over ebikes conflates two very different things: legal, speed-limited electric-assist bicycles (including share schemes like Lime and Forest) and illegal, throttle-powered electric motorbikes that merely resemble bikes but can travel far faster than the law allows. He contends this distinction matters because it clarifies where the real danger lies, and warns against letting frustration with dockless share bikes obscure the genuinely serious problem of unregulated, illegally modified machines on Britain's roads.

The piece notes that London councils have seized 3,393 dangerously parked or abandoned ebikes so far this year, up 23% on the whole of last year, and explains that under UK law a genuine ebike must have a motor capped at 15.5mph that only engages when pedalled, not via a throttle. Walker acknowledges bad behaviour by some share-bike riders, such as running red lights, but argues this is minor compared with drivers, citing government figures showing three-quarters of motorists speed in free-flowing 20mph zones, and stresses that legal ebikes overall bring real benefits by widening access to cycling.