Confiscated E-bikes (Photo: 114th Twitter)
Jan. 30, 2019 By Meghan Sackman
The 114th Precinct has confiscated 11 e-bikes in the past week as part of a sting to get the illegal vehicles off the streets.
The e-bikes were taken while riders were making food deliveries, with some of the bikes owned by the restaurants and others their employees.
The 114th Precinct, which covers the greater Astoria district, took to twitter saying, “We understand that deliveries have to be made, but this is not the way to do it. #EBikes are #Illegal.”
The confiscated bikes are currently being held at the Queens Property Office, located at 47-07 Pearson Place in Long Island City, and will be released to their owners once a ticket has been paid.
The cost of the ticket is likely to be in the vicinity of $100 to $500, according to Police Officer Carlos Chacon with the precinct.
“We do this initiative in response to complaints,” Chacon said. “We get a lot of complaints…about these vehicles being operated recklessly, in violation of traffic violations.”
E-Bikes remain illegal in New York City.
“As of now, you still cannot operate a non-human powered bicycle, whether that’s with an electrical motor or gas engine, within New York City,” Chacon said.
E-Bike Initiative, 11 Bikes seized. We understand that deliveries have to be made, but this is not the way to do it. #EBikes are #Illegal pic.twitter.com/2pPuOZZU2N
— NYPD 114th Precinct (@NYPD114Pct) January 29, 2019
