September 24, 2023 (New York, NY) Asian Wave Alliance (AWA) urges the City Council to pass Int 0758-2022 requiring e-bikes and scooters to be licensed and registered.
Priscilla Loke is the latest fatality of an e-biker crash in Manhattan’s Chinatown. Ms. Loke was a beloved teacher who had worked with Chinatown Head Start for over thirty years. The e-biker ran over 69 year-old Priscilla Loke on September 5 and remains at large. Although the NYPD has camera footage of the collision which showed the perpetrator stopping and then taking off after flagging down an officer, there is no way to locate the perpetrator because the e-bike had no license plate and no way to identify the owner of the vehicle.
E-bikes were involved in 9 fatal crashes in 2022 and 12 fatal crashes, as of July 4, 2023. Accidents caused by e-bikers not observing traffic rules, speeding, riding on sidewalks and riding in the dark, have terrible consequences, to pedestrians and to the riders themselves.
Additionally, with an increase in e-bike usage, there has been an increase in fatalities and home displacement from fires caused by improper charging of e-bike batteries. More must be done to educate the public about proper battery charging.
For the safety of pedestrians and e-bike riders, e-bikes must be registered and licensed. Riders should follow traffic rules and be held accountable for their actions.
Asian Wave Alliance urges the City Council to pass Int 0758-2022.
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