—Traffic Chief calls for re-orientation of e-bike use amid rising road deaths

TRAFFIC CHIEF, Senior Superintendent Mahendra Singh, is calling for a re-orientation of how electric motorcycles are used on Guyana’s roadways, after statistics revealed 60 accidents involving e-bikes between 2021 and 2026, including 14 fatalities.
The data, compiled by the Guyana Chronicle from the number of reports, also shows that 22 accidents resulted in serious injuries while 24 were classified as minor, underscoring growing concerns about the safety of the increasingly popular mode of transportation.
Speaking on the issue, Singh stressed that even a single road death is unacceptable, noting that the pattern of fatal crashes involving electric cycle riders is alarming.
“One road death is too much on our roads,” Singh said, while pointing to the worrying trend involving e-bike riders.
According to the figures, 2022 recorded the highest number of fatalities with seven deaths, while three fatal accidents have already been recorded in 2026.
Accident numbers rose sharply in the early years after the vehicles began appearing on local roadways. In 2021 only four accidents were recorded, but the number surged to 22 in 2022, the highest recorded year. Subsequent years saw fluctuations, with nine accidents recorded in both 2023 and 2024, five in 2025 and 11 recorded so far in 2026.
The Traffic Chief explained that existing legislation already classifies electric cycles as motor vehicles, meaning riders are required to comply with the same legal requirements as motorcycle users. These include vehicle registration, certification, insurance coverage and a valid driver’s licence.
Despite this, the Guyana Police Force’s Traffic Department continues to observe widespread non-compliance, with many electric cycles operating without registration and often being ridden by minors under the age of 16.
According to Singh, the law introduced in 2023 requires riders to be licensed, and individuals can become eligible once they reach 16 years old, the age at which they can sit the theoretical examination to obtain a motorcycle driver’s licence.
He noted that the Traffic Department had embarked on an extensive public education campaign following the introduction of the legislation to encourage compliance.

Singh’s comments come in the wake of another fatal accident involving an e-bike rider on Tuesday morning at Providence, East Bank Demerara, where a female rider lost her life along the Greenfield/Stadium Road.
The Traffic Chief said that in recent times, such incidents have become disturbingly frequent.
It has, within recent times, become almost an everyday occurrence where people are either crushed by trucks or knocked off these e-bikes, landing on the road surface and sustaining serious or life-threatening injuries.
He added that many of these tragedies are preventable, particularly if riders practise the principles of defensive driving.
According to Singh, riding an electric cycle without documentation, without a helmet, and often with a pillion rider, poses significant risks.
“To drive an e-bike on the road without documentation or helmet and often with a pillion rider is a hazard in itself. It is very concerning for me as a ‘traffic cop’ and for us in the Guyana Police Force,” he said.
Singh also raised concern about the growing number of minors operating the vehicles, noting that many are purchased by parents or guardians who then allow underage riders to use them on public roads.
Under the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act, Chapter 51:02, an electric cycle is defined as a motorcycle powered by an electric motor and equipped with an effective stopping system controlled by brakes, gears or motor control.
In practical terms, this means electric cycles are subject to the same regulations as motorcycles regarding registration, licensing and use on public roads.
Electric bikes typically retail in Guyana for between $70,000 and $150,000, significantly cheaper than conventional motorcycles. Because of their affordability and ease of operation, they have quickly become a popular mode of transportation across the country.
Most of these vehicles operate at speeds below 50 kilometres per hour.
Data from the Guyana Police Force shows that 11 persons were killed and 14 others seriously injured in accidents involving electric cycles between 2021 and 2023.
Police noted that many of the riders involved did not possess a valid driver’s licence, often taking advantage of the fact that electric cycles were not initially regulated by the Guyana Revenue Authority.

In another recent fatality, Kendell Lewis, a minibus tout, died in February following a collision with a car. Witnesses reported that the junction was poorly lit and that Lewis was allegedly swerving in the road prior to the impact while riding an electric bike.
Singh said the growing number of incidents underscores the urgent need to re-educate road users on the risks associated with electric cycles and ensure that riders comply with the laws governing their use.