A cyclist speeding on a 'speed pedelec' assisted bike has been given a speeding ticket in East Flanders after local police caught him doing 41 km/h in a 30 km/h zone.
"In the highway code speed pedelecs fall into the moped category," said Stef Willems of the traffic safety centre Vias, reports VTM. This means that just like all other road users cyclists on speed pedelecs are obliged to comply with traffic restrictions including 30km zones.
Pedelecs (pedal electric cycles) are bikes that assist the rider’s pedalling effort with an electric motor delivering up to 250 watts at a speed of up to 25 km/h; in the speed pedelec category the motor’s maximum output is 500 watts and pedal assistance is provided up to a speed of 45 km/h.
The number of speed pedelecs on the road continues to grow, with 11,000 on Belgian roads by the end of 2018. As such, the speeding cyclist will be required to pay a 55 euro fine for the speeding incident.
Jules Johnston
The Brussels Times
